Outlaws and Lawmen
by Nature9000
Summary: For years, Trina has only ever dreamed of the old west where her great grandfather had his reign as a famous outlaw turned lawman. When her father vanishes and all of LA is put to sleep, she finds herself returning to a cursed land to rescue her father, and the souls trapped by six spirits seeking revenge upon her family.
1. Tales of the Old West

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N: An idea formulated by the game _Red Dead Redemption_, set in the old west around 1911. Again, you don't need to have played the game or to know too much about it. Literally everything you need to know will be in this chapter, so don't go running off just yet, haha.

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Chapter 1 (Tales of the Old West)

"You would think you'd be interested in hearing my grandfather's stories, Sinjin." Trina led Sinjin through the Elderly Acres retirement home. She wanted to share the stories of the old west with him since her grandfather, Jack, was the last of the old west. It was a strange miracle he was still alive, as he was now one of the oldest men still living today. "You're a history major, and this is a big part of history."

"I said I loved history, but I've never been that into the old western type stuff." He shot her a coy smirk and folded his arms. "Visiting your ancient grandfather isn't exactly my idea of a date."

"Well that's too damn bad." He chuckled softly and she stopped in the hall, turning her gaze back to him. "Besides, this is a part of my family's history. So that should tell you something right there, shouldn't it?"

"Well when you put it like that." His smirk deepened and his shoulders lifted up. "I'd be more than happy to learn the history. I'm just amazed, how is he still alive? He's survived his own daughter and wife…speaking of which, when was your grandma born again? Nineteen-"

"1917." She raised her hand up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "Granddad Marston says we have a determination to live in our blood, survivalist instinct." It was true, Emily Marston was born in 1917 when her father, Jack, was only twenty-two. Even she was surprised the man was still alive. "Maybe he's hanging on to a dying breed. As he says, suits have overthrown cowboy hats. I don't know, even today we still have 'outlaws' and we have 'lawmen'. Like Dad, he's a lawman, a police officer. Jade's mother? Outlaw."

"I'd think Jade would be the outlaw, wouldn't you?"

"Eh I'll be fair. Tori told me once that Jade's mom was abusive or something. Explains a lot." She continued to walk down the corridor and Sinjin followed in hot pursuit. She turned a corner and eyed a door at the end of yet another long hallway. Jack always preferred to be away from the main area of the retirement center, so he had a room that was the farthest back. "There's his room. Let's go."

"Okay-" Impatient and eager, she grabbed Sinjin's wrist and raced towards the door. Once they arrived, she carefully opened the door on the off chance she might startle her grandfather. Inside, the elder sat in a brown rocking chair with an Indian style blanket over his legs. He was facing the window and wearing a black cowboy hat that covered up his thin white hair.

The man's body was just a shell of the man he used to be in his older days. The room was littered with memories of his life, from photos to relics, including a photo of a great black horse with a platinum mane that he always said was his father's steed. Jack's arms were thin and his shoulders bony. She saw his hat move upwards some, indicating he heard the door.

"Granddad Marston, it's Trina." Jack turned his head and looked over his shoulder. His ocean blue eyes sparkled and his thin lips turned up into a tiny smile. "I wanted you to meet someone. Can I turn your chair around?"

"Be my guest," Jack replied with a shaky tone in his voice. Trina moved over and carefully turned the rocking chair around. "It's always good to see you. You look more and more like your grandmother every day. I tell you Trina, I will be happy to see my daughter again."

"I'm sure grandma Emily is waiting. Don't be in such a hurry to go."

"I'm an incredibly old man, I've outlived more of my relatives than I care to." He reached up to her hand that was resting on his shoulder. She peered down at his bony fingers and started to frown. "I'm thinking my time will be coming soon enough, dear."

"I know. I just don't have anyone else to talk to." He kept saying she was the reason he was still kicking around. The fact that she felt so alone in life, so isolated from her own family and all of Tori's friends, she needed someone to run to. His stories kept her happy.

"I thought you got a boyfriend recently. Someone to tell all your troubles to." Her heart jumped up and she nodded happily. She pointed to Sinjin, who waved at the man. Jack clasped his hands together and breathed in. "She's told me about you."

"Good things, I hope," Sinjin joked, "We've been dating about a month now." In truth, Trina had been spending more time with Sinjin lately. He'd been the go-to person whenever Tori's friends would scathe and scowl at her, or if Tori made a crude remark about her to get her friends to laugh. "I'm Sinjin."

Trina smirked at him and crossed her arms, "Oh yeah he's quite the charmer too. Our first date was at McDonalds." Jack lifted his eyebrows and Sinjin coughed. She always teased him about that particular date. He took care of his little sister and worked as a teacher's assistant at Hollywood Arts. His money went to bills, rent, and whatever he and his sister needed. Some money was stashed away in a saving's account. When they first started to date, Courtney broke her arm and needed a cast, that wiped out what money they had set aside from the saving's and all the important payments.

"That wasn't my fault, I didn't get my paycheck yet and didn't want to make you pay. The best I could afford was…fast food…" Trina laughed wildly.

"He made up for it on the second date."

"Ah yes," Jack shook his head and smirked at the two of them. "In my day and age, we didn't have fast food. Or we did, but it was in the form of a rabbit or other wildlife, and we cooked it over an open campfire."

"That makes McDonalds sound worthwhile." Then again, she'd prefer just about anything over McDonalds. Sinjin even hated having to go to McDonalds and kept promising a better date, so their second date was more of a real first date than anything else. "Anyway, I thought I'd bring Sinjin to visit you since I'm sure you're getting tired of me all the time."

"Oh not at all, it's just a shame I don't see your father or sister as often. I guess they don't need me as much as you."

"Honestly? I'm not surprised. Tori doesn't need anyone, she's got Jade, Cat, Robbie, Beck, and Andre. Dad's always busy because his job requires him to be away at all hours. Mom? God knows what mom's doing these days. She's pretty much left us to fend for ourselves. She's been gone a couple months now. Pops in from time to time, but never stays long. Dad's considering divorce."

"That's unfortunate." Jack closed his eyes and grimaced. "People have become too dependent on divorce these days. It's sad to witness people breaking apart. Irene and I, Mom and dad, we worked through problems together. Promise me, Trina, if you and your boyfriend here become serious, you won't be so quick to split apart if you fight. It just doesn't seem the proper way."

"Right, I won't. I believe in working on things." She hooked her arm through Sinjin's and grinned at her boyfriend. Sinjin "Anyway, I was hoping you'd be willing to tell your dad's story to Sinjin. You know I love hearing about Great-great-great grandpa John. Plus, I think Sinjin should know the better side of my family."

"Better?" Jack laughed and turned to Sinjin with a broadening smile. "I suppose I could tell a bit. "Have a seat and I'll tell you a tale better than what you'll see in any John Wayne or Eastwood film."

"Debatable," Sinjin winked and Jack's grin only grew. "Though you've got me interested now." Sinjin and Trina sat down on the edge of Jack's bed. Trina moved her head to Sinjin's shoulder and closed her eyes, breathing in softly.

Jack snapped his fingers, his eyes already twinkling with delight. "You should never challenge a Marston, Sinjin, you might just lose."

"Dad always says 'Vega'," Trina joked. She folded her hands over Sinjin's shoulder and lifted her cheek to the top of her hands. Her gaze fell onto her great grandfather and her lips turned up into a smile. "He says pride runs in our blood, something like that."

"Well he would be right. Trina, you tell me how your sister tends to ignore you, but you never say how your father treats you. Other than the treating you well, part, correct? A Marston-or Vega in your father's case-still he's a Marston is always willing to do anything for their family. So it wouldn't surprise me that he still treats you with some respect."

"He's still an overprotective cop that always looks after Tori and myself. In fact, if he didn't actually know Sinjin, I'd probably _still_ be single if he had his way."

"Ah yes, I was the same way with Emily. She finally told me straight up one day that she was going to marry whomever she wished and I was going to have to accept that my little girl was growing up. That's the way her son was, that's the way David is. We've always been a headstrong bunch, especially my father. Even when things are looking grim, my father's headstrong ways and determination left him to keep pushing ahead. He was not always a law abiding citizen of course." Jack looked over to Sinjin and lifted his hand. "Trina will tell you what I always say, that my father was once an outlaw, ran with a gang. The name of that gang escapes me, but I will never quite forget the leaders, the men my father was forced to hunt."

"Forced?" Sinjin's eyes widened briskly.

"Yes. You see, John Marston was my father's name. He was an orphan and fell into the hands of a gang led by a man known as Dutch. Along with old Bill Williamson and Javier Escuella they robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. At least, that's what they said. When Dad was left for dead, he tried to start a life and move on from those ways. Mom, Dad and I got a ranch out in Southwest Texas, a spot called Beecher's Hope. This bit of land is uninhabitable these days."

"Really? Why?"

"No one knows. Southwest Texas, the Mexican border, and the New Mexico border. This was my dad's old stomping grounds. In these days, I hear tales that the entire area is like a ghost town, people go in and they do not come out. At least, nobody has been able to leave that area and say what came of them." Jack closed his eyes and waved his hand dismissively through the air. "Unimportant though. Back to my father. Let me know if I start to bore you though."

"Oh you won't bore him," Trina moved her head upright, leaving her chin on her hands. "He loves all this history stuff, even if he says he's not interested in the old western stuff."

"All right then. The year 1911, mom and I were taken away by the Bureau of Investigation, they'd been searching him out since he left the gang. A man named Edgar Ross led them and forced him to find Dutch, Bill, and Javier in order to see his family again and to be granted 'amnesty'." Jack's face tensed and his hands firmly clenched the arm rests. "My dad found Bill leading his own gang at Fort Mercer, but was shot down and left for dead. Bonnie MacFarlane, sweet lady as my dad described her, found him and took her to her ranch so the doctor there could nurse him back to health."

"That's nice of her to do," Sinjin marveled. "Sounds like a familiar name. I don't think I've heard of her before, though. Sorry about the interruption, please continue sir."

"Gladly. Dad spent some time helping her on the ranch before going off to a nearby town, Armadillo where the US Marshall there, Leigh Johnson and two of his deputies, Jonah and Eli, are willing to help him get on his feet. They know of Bill Williamson, who has been terrorizing the town lately, and were willing to help Dad out. Sometime during dad's travels he met this weird salesperson, or as dad described him, a conman named Nigel West Dickens. With this man, and two others he met somewhere along the way, Seth Briars and someone named Irish, they were able to raid Fort Mercer with the help of Leigh Johnson and his men."

"And Bill? They got him?"

"Unfortunately not." Jack put his hands to his knees and sighed heavily. Trina felt Sinjin's shoulders fall and looked up to him, smiling at how interested he appeared in the story. "Bill escaped into Mexico with Javier. I believe it was Irish who led him into Mexico, although Irish had been known for some upsetting crimes, so their path into Mexico was met by several angered authorities firing off rounds of ammunition at them." Sinjin's eyes widened some more and he started to lean forward. Trina returned her cheek onto her hands and closed her eyes.

"So what happened?"

"Around that time, Mexico was going through some sort of rebellion under their leader, Sanchez. President Sanchez had a Colonel in charge of things around that area, Colonel Agustin Allende. This man had a captain at his right hand…" Jack squinted his eyes, attempting to recall the names. "I believe Vincente de Santa. At first, Dad was going to help them because they knew where to find Escuella, but as it turns out, those two men betrayed him and tried to have my father killed. Dad gunned them all down and went to a small town where he met up with a famous gunslinger of an older time, Landon Ricketts. Now Ricketts taught dad a couple tricks with a gun. He met up eventually with the rebellion leader, Abraham Reyes and was able to turn the tables on Allende and de Santa. It was there they found Bill and Javier hiding at the El Presidio."

"So he helped take out a leader of Mexico?"

"Yes, but Allende was an evil man, a true tyrant." Jack leaned back in his chair and with a heavy sigh, shook his head. "I can't say Abraham turned out to be much better."

"Mexico's always having problems it seems like, even today they seem like they're dealing with rough times."

"Not quite as bad as back then."

"True. Please continue. What happened after capturing Bill and Javier?"

"Well Edgar Ross wasn't finished with him, no matter how much dad demanded mom and I be returned home, Ross wouldn't release us until Dutch was found. And that was a task in itself."

"That seems a bit cheap."

"It was, but when dealing with the federal government, I guess it was their way or the highway. Regardless, Dutch was a dangerous man and like a rabid dog, needed to be put down. Dad did just that, only if memory serves, Dad didn't kill him. Dutch jumped off a cliff to his death."

"That's it then, your dad was done. You guys were returned home, right?"

"Of course, and it was a blissful many months that we had together. Or well, it would have been, but _months_ didn't really pass." Sinjin frowned as Jack's expression grew heavy and angered. "That coldhearted Bureau bastard wasn't done with my dad like he promised." Jack shook his fist in the air and Sinjin gasped out. Trina's right eye flicked open and her lips curved into a frown. "They came back. Ross did, with an army at his disposal, and gunned my father and uncle down in cold blood. Even though they released him from their deal! Mom and I were forced to run, to hide. Ross never came after us, he just wanted my father…"

"I'm so sorry…"

Jack started to smile, leaning back gently and folding his hands over in his lap. "Ah but the tale doesn't end there. I met my wife about a year or two later. In 1914 I returned to that area to bury my mother beside my father, depression finally took her life after those years…It was then I wrote back to my wife, telling her I had some unfinished business to attend to."

"What? What did you do?"

"I went on a search to find that fowl bastard, Edgar Ross. I went to West Elizabeth and found a man in the Bureau who said he retired and went to live on some cabin near a lake. Living a damned _happy, _and_ peaceful_ life with his wife. He took my family, and I didn't think my future family would be safe from that man, so I went down to the lake where his wife told me he was out hunting somewhere. When I found him, I dueled him and won. Since then, I vowed never to shoot another man unless it was needed. I returned home to my wife, had my eldest, Emily, in 1917. We moved ourselves all the way out here to California where, as Trina can attest, I did become Sherriff of a small town. My father didn't want for me to become an outlaw, and while killing Ross made me dangerously close to one, I simply became the exact opposite. A lawman, someone I knew my father could be proud of."

Trina lifted her head up and grinned from ear to ear, "Ever since then, we've all worked with the law. Grandma Emily became one of the first women to serve on a police force! Grandpa George retired from the police force about ten years ago, and you know Dad." Sinjin chuckled softly and put his arm around Trina's shoulders while still looking on with pride at the elder before them.

"You know sir, Trina's gone into law enforcement too. That's what you were wanting to do, right Trina?"

"Well, I'd rather work for crime scene investigations, but yes, law enforcement's where I want to go.

"I know," Jack replied, "And I am immensely proud. I can only think my father is proud as well." He looked over to Sinjin, his cheekbones rose and his forehead creased over. "You will take care of her, won't you? Be there for her. She tells me quite a bit of things that I am sorry to hear, she needs someone there for her, not an old man well past his time." Her heart sank for a moment, but she held it inside. It was upsetting to think about her grandfather passing on, but she knew his time would come eventually. No one lives forever.

"I will be there for her, sir, don't you worry."

"Good, because I won't always be here for her, and her dad doesn't sound to be around as often as he could be. She needs someone willing to lift her up when she's not feeling herself, but she's a Marston, she'll always rise up and be strong. Won't you, dear?" He winked at her and she smiled sadly, nodding in response. Jack leaned forward, putting his hand over her wrist. "Don't be sad. You know something? Legends, family, they stick with you. I may not always be here, my father may be long gone, but we remain as long as our children and grandchildren walk around, we're here. I think also, a little bit of truth is in the statement, 'the old west will never die'." She looked up to him as he pulled away. "Memories are all we have sometimes, my dad is with me still today, one hundred years later, because of memories. He's still here, in me, in you, in your father, his proud blood runs through all of our veins. I'm glad I lived so long to see so many grandchildren grow, but maybe it's time for another to be the bearer of this family's memories, am I right?"

"I don't know about that Grandpa. I'll never forget you, I know that, and I'll always miss your stories about Grandpa John. You two are like my heroes, you know? Someone I look up to, I don't have any other heroes."

"Really now?" His finger curled at his chin and his eyebrows lifted up. "I thought your father was your hero?"

"My dad?" She started to smile as she thought back on her dad's own tales of life in the force. It was her father that was the reason she was pursuing law enforcement. Her dad put down many bank heists, caught numerous criminals, and was a big presence in LA's top crimefighters. There was a reason he was always so busy, always away, but everything he did was to protect his two girls and give his family a good life while doing the same for other families in the area. Her heart skipped a beat and she sighed dreamily. "Yeah, I guess. It's hard to see sometimes, but Dad's my inspiration for so much. I know I can't be a legend like Grandpa John, but Dad? I hope to be like him one day, because he's sort of a legend around here. Strong, cares about people, cares about his family…yeah, I guess Dad's a hero too."

"You don't have to have just one hero in your life, Trina. Always remember that."

"I will, Grandpa. I will."

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I hope you like what you see. Things are going to be a tad different here, there are some minor (well semi) family issues to be dealt with and but Tori will have her own minor subplot in this, but it's nothing like I've done before. Tori has a journey to take, Trina has a journey to take. Trina gets the main part and the story has an old west and supernatural feel to it. I haven't done anything supernatural in some time, and my friend suggested it, so bada-bing, bada-boom, this deals some with the paranormal!. I think this chapter introduces Trina's part, I may put up the next as it will introduce the subplot a bit.


	2. Trina's Number One

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

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Chapter 2 (Trina's Number One)

Trina returned home later that night, hoping her dad was home and Tori was out with her friends. Lately she'd been avoiding her sister. Considering school had let out and summertime started up, Tori was almost always gone. This was good for Trina, who had been spending most of her time on the university campus, she'd been doing her best to get through college and start a life, and living at home wasn't exactly her idea of starting a _happy_ life. It was cheaper than living in the dorms and cheaper than getting her own apartment, but Tori's friends gave her hell about not moving out. As usual, Tori never said anything. Though their father wasn't too happy with the friends in this regard, and Trina overheard him telling Tori a couple times that she needed to stand up for her sister, but Tori would only complain that it wasn't her fault.

She found it ironic, since usually the younger sister was supposed to be the one annoying the older. For many years it was this way, at least, until Tori went to Hollywood Arts. Since then, Tori had gotten a big head, a massive ego, and was too good for her family. Her friends encouraged it. Trina didn't have a major issue with them, she just didn't like them, and neither did the friends she _did_ have. Her best friend lived in some other town, Lindsay, she had to move away years ago. Tori's friends took advantage of the move by claiming Lindsay left just to get away from Trina. This happened with a couple of Trina's other friends too, the only one it hadn't happened with was Sinjin.

Now Sinjin she'd known for years, he was one of her inner group of friends back in the day. He treated her right, and stuck up for her when need be, but she never really thought about going to him for all her problems regarding them. She wasn't a broken woman, the friends tried to make her life hell but they didn't. The issue here was that Trina and all of her own friends could see right through them.

They saw the vanity in Beck, the envy in Jade, and even the egotistical pride that Tori was developing from that absurd talent school. Trina still treated them all cordially, or at least, the best she could. She felt she had to since her dad was always telling her: "Remember to treat everyone kindly because you never know if one day they're going to need your help, or you'll need theirs."

Great advice from a great man, sure, but she could never see herself helping any of Tori's friends.

Arriving at the house, she turned on the living room light and frowned as she scanned the empty house. "I suppose it should be good since I was expecting it." She looked back to see her dad's car driving down the street. "He's coming home now? Great!" Before she went out to the driveway to greet him, she heard a loud crash coming from upstairs. Startled, she raced for the end table near the couch. If someone was in the house, she was going to catch them.

She grabbed a small handgun from the drawer, it was a pistol her dad gave her when she got her gun license. She didn't usually carry it around with her unless she was going somewhere that she needed it for self defense. Thinking fast, she ran up the stairs, her heart raced at the speed of her moving legs.

The upstairs area was completely dark, so began inching towards the light switch on a wall near her left. She had a mental image of the entire house, to the point that she knew every nook and cranny. She prepared herself for whatever burglars there may be and pointed the gun out into the darkened hallway while reaching her finger towards the switch.

The moment she turned on the light, her heart stopped. Tori was sitting on the ground and Cat was standing up next to her, holding onto her wrist. Jade moved out of a nearby room, groaning loudly as Beck followed her. Tori glared up at Trina and threw her hands up. "Great, Trina! You ruined it, we were playing a game in the dark." Trina raised an eyebrow and slowly lowered her gun.

"Aren't you a little old to be playing hide and seek in the dark, Tori?" Tori crossed her arms and Jade scoffed at her.

"Aren't you a little old to still be living at home?" Trina narrowed her eyes and growled through her clenched teeth. She tried to keep her anger down, but it was difficult considering the situation.

"I think you're forgetting who almost shot who thinking that someone was a burglar, _Jade!_"

Tori rolled her eyes and pulled herself up, shaking her head. "No Trina, Jade's right. You're going to UCLA, most college students live on dorms nowadays don't they?"

"Excuse me, _what_? Did I just hear you say Jade was correct? I don't think so!"

Jade looked smugly at her and Tori sighed once again. Cat took a slow step backwards and looked towards the window. "I should probably get going! My roommate might be going to bed soon and I don't want to wake her."

"Whoever gave you a gun anyway?" Jade took a step forward and pointed to the 9mm in her hand. "I don't think someone like you should be holding a gun." Tori rubbed her forehead while Jade started to grin. "Is that thing even loaded? I doubt it."

"Trina Vega with a loaded gun?" Beck laughed, much to Trina's irritation. Her eyes flew to the door behind Tori and she saw Andre walking out.

"Hey Tori!" Andre started, "I thought we were going to-" Tori shushed him and Andre glanced over to Trina with arched eyebrows. Trina cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes at him, then slowly turned towards Beck, studying him until she noticed an unlatched leather belt.

"I think you _all_ should leave right now," Trina spoke in an extremely low voice, one she only donned when truly pissed off. She clicked on the safety on her gun and lowered it to her sides. "Every one of you, except my sister."

"Since when are you the boss of us?" Tori asked, "Who died and put you in charge?"

"Excuse me?"

"Seriously Trina-not everything is about you! I mean come on!"

"Trina is right, Tori." A deeper voice echoed from behind her, and everyone stiffened. Trina's heart jumped up to her throat and she looked over her shoulder, brightening as her father stepped up behind her. David was in full police uniform with the stars adorning it declaring his status as Deputy Police Chief. "Your friends need to leave, now."

"But da-"

David studied the friends and pointed his hand down the stairs. "Now!" His voice shook the walls so much that Trina thought he started an earthquake. Tori fumed as her friends charged down the stairs.

"Thanks a lot, Trina." Trina rolled her eyes and David folded his arms across his chest.

"Victoria Raquel Vega, your mother and I raised you better! You know to treat your sister with better respect than this, and you should know your friends are to respect your family. I don't know what's gotten into you that you think you're too good for your family, but I am getting sick and tired of seeing you let your friends have their way with your own sister."

Tori slouched as David stepped forward, holding his angry glare on her. "Not to mention I saw Trina walk into a dark house as I was driving up, so if she's got her gun it's clear she thought there was a burglar in here. What would you have done if she didn't turn on the upstairs light first?"

"But Dad, you really think a burglar's getting in here? You have the house on such tight security, you even have freakin' cameras everywhere!"

"Anything is possible, Victoria." Trina knew things were serious if her dad was calling Tori by her full name. David was always one to joke around, to have fun, and he _never_ got angry. There for he rarely ever used 'Victoria' or 'Katrina' unless he were having an extremely bad day and they pushed him too far. That being said, Trina knew better than to say anything at all with her dad like this. "The Assistant Chief of Police had a break in attempt at his house recently and he's got his home on tighter security than I do. How many times have you told your friends to respect your family?"

"A few times…"

"A few?" Trina stared skeptically at Tori, stifling a laugh. Tori rolled her eyes and Trina pointed to the room Jade and Beck had been in. "If your friends knew how to respect you or us, they wouldn't be screwing each other in our house!"

"What?! Trina! How can you say that?"

"Because Beck's belt was unlatched and Jade was in that room with him." What was worse was it had been her bedroom the two were in. While she didn't know if they were doing anything, she couldn't be certain, and was still going to change her sheets anyway. David began to grow red in the face, and Trina knew she was to back away before he exploded like a volcano.

"Not in my house!" David exclaimed. "Not around my daughters. Those friends of yours have been influencing your behavior since you went to that school. If you hadn't graduated, I'd be pulling you out. Hell, I was considering it this last school year."

"Dad!" Tori pleaded. "Why are you in such a bad mood tonight? You're never like this! You're always calm and forgiving, why-"

"Why? Because your mother had the audacity to come to me at work, start an argument, and get me in trouble with my superiors. All this after chasing some scum down on the highways. I think I've been _more_ than lenient with your friends, Victoria. More than I should have been, I see where I messed up. I thought I didn't have to make too many rules for my family, not as many as most do anyway, but I guess I have to."

"Dad, you wouldn't-"

"I don't think arguing is a good idea," Trina muttered.

"Shut up, Trina! This is your fault!"

"Victoria!" Tori stiffened as her father's voice practically blew the windows out upstairs. "We do not blame each other for our own shortcomings, do I make myself clear? I see how those friends of yours have been changing, before you went to that infernal school you would never have talked to your sister in such a tone. My mind is made up."

"What are you going to do, Dad?"

"Hold on…" David started down the steps and the sisters followed after him. All of Tori's friends were still in the living room, hiding near the couch and kitchen counter, eavesdropping. David slammed his foot on the ground and they all shot up, staring at him with wide eyes. "I thought I told you all to get the hell out of my house."

"Um sir?" Andre raised his hand up and pointed towards the upstairs. "I-uh, I left my shoes upstairs…do you think I could retrieve them?" Trina closed her eyes as David began fuming more. Why the hell would Andre not have his shoes? "It's starting to rain outside and I really don't want to get sick."

"Mr. Harris…" David started to smile as he walked over to the trembling man. He put his mighty hand onto Andre's shoulder and narrowed his fiery gaze. "You can walk home barefoot for all I care. Just please zip up your pants. Oh, and if I see you around my daughter again, _I'm_ going to be the one shooting at you." Andre paled and Tori screamed out in protest. "In fact…" David looked to the others and pointed to the door. "I don't want to see _any_ of you in this house again. I will find something to arrest you for, if I have to. I don't want you influencing my daughters anymore!"

"W-We weren't doing that, sir. We're Tori's friends."

"Andre, right now I'm not very fond of you for reasons I haven't confirmed yet. I really don't want to confirm what is going through my head right now, so it would be in your best benefit to say nothing at all."

"Y-Yes sir."

"Nothing!"

"So-" David lifted a finger and Andre silenced. The man turned to Jade and Beck, the couple immediately shrank away.

"And you two. If you're going to fool around, have some respect and decency not to do it in your friend's home. Especially if said friend has a father that is a cop. A very powerful cop, I might add. A cop that put one of my eldest daughter's past boyfriend in jail. For legitimate charges. All it takes is a background check. I've heard enough from both of my daughters to know that one or both of you is particularly shady, so if you don't want me looking into your backgrounds, I suggest you heed my advice very well."

"It wasn't like that, I promise," Jade threw her hands up defensively. Beck stared at his girlfriend with a bewildered look. "Beck wanted me to, I said no, Trina came upstairs. Simple as that. I may be a lot of things, but I'm not that kind of girl, I promise sir."

"Honesty. I appreciate that. However, all of you are still forbidden to step foot under my roof until further notice."

"That's not fair!" Tori protested. Trina put a hand to her shoulder and Tori turned around fiercely. "What!"

"I think it would be best we not say anything. Dad needs to calm down, you're just going to agitate him."

"Oh and like you're not?"

"I'm not the one he's mad at right now…_Victoria."_ Tori silenced and Trina's lips thinned over. "Besides, I'm not exactly happy with you right now, not that you care what I think."

"Oh come on, it isn't that I don't care what you think. I just don't think everything should be about you."

"Funny you should say that, because you know something? Maybe do some soul searching and figure out which one of us actually acts like we have to have everything our way. Because I don't particularly care if I get my way or not, because if I had my way, things would be a lot different around here. If I had my way, you'd still be my sister and not some stuck up snob that Hollywood Arts replaced my sister with."

"You don't mean that…"

"Oh but I do. Just ask Sinjin, or any one of my friends, we see right through you and your friends. You've become as vain as they are, as self centered and selfish. I know I'm a bit self centered and snooty, but at least I know the limit, and I wouldn't let my friends walk over my sister. What about you? Would you let your friends walk all over your sister?" Trina gasped and pat her hand to her cheek. "Oh wait! You already do allow it! I knew I was proud of my baby sister for something."

"That's enough," David rubbed his temples and looked towards the kitchen. A bottle of ibuprofen sat beside the refrigerator. "I have a headache. Tori's friends, please leave now." He took a deep breath and began moving towards the fridge. "Tori, go up to your room, I will discuss your behavior later."

Everyone did as instructed while Trina returned the gun to the drawer. She looked over to David with a sad smile. "I'm sorry about everything Daddy."

"Huh?" David looked up with a slight chuckle. "Oh it's okay. I'm sorry. I know Tori gets to you every now and then, I just never thought she would be so disrespectful of her family or of her house."

"It isn't her fault, Dad…"

"I know, I know, my daughter should never talk back to me or you in that tone though. It's those friends of hers, of course I see that." David took two pills of ibuprofen with a glass of water and sighed heavily. "I don't know what to do about them. I can't forbid Tori from being friends with them, but at the same time, I'm sick of seeing them influence her into treating her family like this. Tell me, what do you think Beck and Jade were doing upstairs in your room?"

"Well his belt was undone, jeans undone and unzipped. I'm pretty sure whatever happened in there is going to lead to me washing my sheets tonight. Wouldn't be the first time."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean Beck. You remember that whole puppet thing?" She had to show him the video footage from his security cameras, and he was understandably upset over having been tricked into believing Tori's friends over his own daughter. "I know I screwed up by pretending to be dating Beck, I shouldn't have done that, but he went so far out of his way to try and take revenge or whatever he was doing that when I went back to my room later, my sheets were soaked and smelly."

"My god…tell me he didn't."

"It's like you always say, Daddy. Evidence is circumstantial, there's no direct evidence that Beck caused it."

"Well one of those boys had to have done it. Who else would have been in the house that night?"

"No one."

"Great." David leaned over the counter and moved his palm over his face. "God I'm starting to regret letting Tori go to that school. It changed her. Hell, everything changed when that happened. I get promoted, your mom runs off and your sister starts getting friends who make her think it's okay to disrespect her family. I hope you're not letting them get to you. What they said up there, always know you're welcome to live under this roof as long as you want."

Trina chuckled and hugged her father from behind, "Thanks Dad."

"Ah don't mention it. I got your text earlier, saying you were going to visit Great Grandpa Marston. How is he doing?"

"Same as usual. I wanted him to meet Sinjin, they got along well and he told Sinjin a lot about his dad's time in the old west."

"The old west. Good times." David leaned back on the counter and crossed his arms, smirking slightly. "The last great heroes of our time, eh Trina?"

"Oh I don't know if I'd say the _last_ ones. You're my hero, Dad." David chuckled as Trina tried to cheer him up with a smile. "Really, you are."

"I don't know if I'm that great."

"Dad come on. You've stopped robberies, captured big time criminals and stopped high speed chases. You're like-You're like Grandaddy John Marston, only living in modern day LA. If you don't think you're a hero to all those people out there, know you're a hero to me, and an inspiration. You're the reason I want to go into law enforcement, daddy."

David laughed cheerfully and gave Trina a fatherly hug, holding her protectively. "Yes, I know. You and Tori will always be my baby girls, and I'll always love you. Police work…that's a dangerous field, I'm almost scared to let you go into that work, but I know you'll make me proud."

"I hope so. Because you know I want to be just like you, right? I mean sure it'd be nice to be like Granddad John, but you'll always be number one to me."

"Glad to hear that, sweetheart. I'm glad to hear that."

* * *

Well as you see, Tori's in need of some development here, and she will go on her own path separate from Trina. Though in a very intriguing way. The friends will have to deal with things themselves, but we won't see much of their path, it will be in brief. You will understand soon. Trina's biggest concern really won't be Tori's friends, other things sort of take greater precedence for her. They are an issue, though, just not a major one. Let me know your thoughts


	3. Fearful Nights

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 3 (Fearful Nights)

Trina went to her bedroom worrying about her dad, she knew he'd been upset over Holly going to his work, but she wanted to ask what the woman was arguing with him about. At the same time, Trina wasn't sure how much he wanted to talk about it.

After changing her sheets just in case, she lay down on the new fresh blankets and closed her eyes. It had been a long night, she wanted to talk to Sinjin, but figured it was best to let him sleep. Ironic, considering she often always talked to him this late at night regardless, but her exhaustion was too overwhelming.

The clock at her end table was displaying _11:59_, hours before she typically fell asleep. Sometimes she watched movies or worked on her laptop for a couple more hours. The strange thing was, as exhausted as she felt, she was tossing and turning. At the stroke of midnight, her body started to sweat and a random song on her cell phone playlist began blaring

Her eyes shot open and her body jolted up as Johnny Cash's _Ghost Riders in the Sky_ echoed throughout her room. She put her hand to her forehead, groaning heavily as the song generated the visuals of fiery horses ripping through the air.

_An old cowpoke went riding out one dark and windy day  
Upon a ridge he rested as he went along his way  
When all at once a mighty herd of red-eyed cows he saw  
A'plowin' through the ragged skies and up a cloudy draw_

_Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o_  
_Ghost riders in the sky_

"Trying to sleep, here." She reached over for her phone and raised an eyebrow at it. The background was a clear blue sky over rolling green hills, her apps were set in neat columns and rows, while her phone's notifications showed nothing abnormal. There was no indicator of her playlist running. "The hell?"

_Their brands were still on fire and their hooves were made of steel  
Their horns wuz black and shiny and their hot breaths he could feel  
A bolt of fear went through him as they thundered through the sky  
For he saw the riders comin' hard and he heard their mournful cry_

_Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o_  
_Ghost riders in the sky_

She fell back onto her pillow, groaning as her phone fell beside her. Suddenly her entire room was on fire as six fiery horses circled her bed. Her eyes widened at the sound of a whip cracking in the air. The riders were tall, their eyes wild with rage and hatred. Each horse was black as night and their eyes as crimson as blood.

Trina's hand flew to her chest and she began pushing herself against the headboard on her bed, whimpering as the circling horses began closing in on her bed.

_Their faces gaunt, their eyes were blurred, and shirts all soaked with sweat  
They're ridin' hard to catch that herd but they ain't caught them yet  
They've got to ride forever in that range up in the sky  
On horses snortin' fire, as they ride on, hear their cry_

_Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o_  
_Ghost riders in the sky_

"Dad! Tori! Anyone out there right now?" Was she dreaming? She grabbed her phone and moved furiously into her playlist, trying to find and delete the song. To her dismay, she couldn't find it. The riders hollered as the fire around them burned brighter. "Go away, go away, go away! You're not real."

The scary fact was the riders resembled how her granddad described the six outlaws his father went up against: Dutch, Bill, Javier, Allende, De Santa, and Edgar Ross. Her heart raced as a man in a long black coat and black hat, with thick brown hair appeared at the foot of her bed. In his right hand was a golden pistol, and at his belt was a rope.

The man lifted his gun into the air and fired off six rounds, to which each horse stopped moving and reared back. The riders glared at the man for several seconds before disappearing in a cloud of black mist.

_As the riders loped on by him, he heard one call his name  
"If you want to save your soul from hell a' ridin' on our range"  
"Then cowboy change your ways today or with us you will ride"  
"A-tryin' to catch the Devil's herd across these endless skies."_

_Yi-pi-yi-ay, Yi-pi-yi-o_  
_Ghost riders in the sky_  
_Ghost riders in the sky_

The mysterious cowboy grabbed the brim of his hat and tugged it down as he started to turn her way. Before his face showed, he vanished in _white_ mist. She watched with wide eyes as another mist generated before her, this time Jack appeared standing strong and full as he once was. Her lips parted and her heart clenched as the man reassured her with a kind smile.

"It's time to depart, Trina. I've lived a long life. Protect your family, look after them always."

"This is a dream, right? What were those horses I just saw? That song…" The song wasn't playing any longer, which she was pleased with. "The fire, the man with the gun. What in the hell was all that."

Jack started to look up to the sky, his shoulders rose and his jaw locked. "Perhaps a dream, perhaps something more. Maybe they've found us."

"Maybe what? Who? What do you mean?"

"Watch over the family, Trina. Take care of them in their time of need."

"Grandpa Jack-" In a flash he was gone. Trina shot up in her bed, eyeing her peculiarly dark room with suspicion. Had it all been a dream? Her phone was now resting on her end table, connected to the phone charger, and it was turned off. The window beside her bed was open and the curtains were flying with the wind. "Ugh, I thought I closed that."

She moved to the window and lifted her hands up to the rim. As she held her posture there, she noticed an ambulance driving down the long and empty road. Her eyebrow arched up and she swiftly shut the window, thinking nothing more of it.

Deciding she wasn't going to be sleeping anytime soon, Trina left her room and departed for the first floor. Her dad was awake on the couch, much to her surprise. He had his comforter taken from his bed and wrapped around his body and was holding the television remote in his lap.

"Daddy? What are you doing up?" David looked over his shoulder as she made her way to the couch.

"I couldn't sleep. Been thinking about your mom and your sister."

"What's upsetting you?"

"That I don't know what to do anymore." Trina sat beside him and raised her eyebrows as his blank stare fell onto the television. He was watching _Bonanza_ on TV Land. "I thought I raised you and your sisters to be ready for the world one day, to grow strong and ready to experience life."

"I am ready, Dad. I mean sure there are some things that frighten me about getting started out there, but I know I can't afford to be caught behind. Even my anxiety levels are down lately." Not entirely true, she was still highly anxious about a lot of things, but she was doing her best not to let her emotional problems show. "I mean, I'm not letting anything get in the way of doing what I want to do. You don't need to worry about me, I'll be fine, and Tori will be okay."

"I don't know. Maybe Holly's right."

"What does that mean? When Mom went to your work?"

"Ugh." His head fell back on the couch and his eyes closed. "She was demanding that since she couldn't go through custody battles over a 20 and 18 year old that I force you two to move in with her. She said I wouldn't be able to take care of you two. She wants to move to some place in England. I don't think you'd be happy in England." Trina scrunched her face and shook her head.

"No thanks. So…that's what you were fighting with mom over?"

"I've _been_ fighting with her over it for some time now. She won't let it go, she wants you two with her. I lost my head at work because it was all just too much. I yelled, in front of everyone that I'd been the one raising you two while she sat around and did nothing, that she had been messing around with my former partner on the force for years."

"I'm sorry, Dad."

"I'm doing all I can to protect this family, to keep you girls safe and feeling protected. Then I find out everything Tori's friends have been up to, I see what that boyfriend of yours did a couple years back-"

"Dad, that doesn't bother me anymore. I mean sure it does sometimes, but not like it used to, you know that."

"But people like Beck, womanizers I shouldn't be letting around you, or Tori, for that matter!" He ran his hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "Maybe it is time to hang up my hat. Maybe Holly's right and I'm not cut out for parenting. Maybe I should send Tori to England with her, maybe Holly can make that girl see how manipulative those friends of hers have been."

"Don't say that, Dad, you don't mean that."

"Frankly, I don't know anymore."

"You've taught us important values, like how to protect ourselves and how to look after each other."

"And look how you and Tori go about that? All I've taught you two and she chooses not to tell her friends to respect her and her family. If I can't bring both my children up with the right life values and morals, then I've failed as a father."

"You shouldn't listen to what mom says. I know she's been telling you that just to get under your skin, and it's working. You haven't failed as a father."

"Maybe not." He chuckled in vain and clicked off the television. "You know Trina, a while back I ran background checks on those friends."

"That's something you've always done…" He was overprotective of his family, always had been. He didn't just screen boyfriends, he screened simple friends. He gave them background checks, the whole nine yards, and judged whether they were good enough to be around his family. "I thought you were fine with them."

"I didn't exactly like what I found, but your mother always told me: Tori needs friends, she needs to be able to shine in life and be happy, you're just holding her back if you deny her friends. So. I left it alone!" Trina was concerned now, what had he found out? "I thought maybe if I left it alone, they'd prove to me they were fine. For the longest time I thought they were okay. That is, until they tricked me with that puppet game, and then I see everything first hand tonight, it was…" He scoffed and Trina gently pat his back, looking off to the door.

Her anxiety was starting to work up again as the worry overwhelmed her. She always thought underneath, they were good people. "They didn't do anything bad, right? I mean…what could you have found out?"

"Enough. I don't want to upset you, sweetheart."

"You won't, you know I can take care of myself just fine dad."

"I know, I just worry. Ross may be gone now, but you, I don't want to say or do anything to upset you. You know that." Her muscles tensed for the moment and she closed her eyes. After a spike in her emotions, she dismissed them with a wave of her hand and cleared her throat.

"Just tell me about Tori's friends. I'll be able to handle it." David looked at her with some skepticism and slowly nodded his head.

"Well, Beck is the one I'm more concerned with. I wasn't happy that he restrained you that one night. A few years ago, I guess maybe before Jade, a girlfriend called the cops out on him." A heavy feeling descended upon Trina and her eyes drifted to the door as her heart began to cower. "She said he got into his father's liquor cabinet, and when she wouldn't, you know, he got violent. Then there's Jade, who was arrested for assaulting her mother."

"Jade's mom has always been abusive…"

"I know, I've answered plenty of distress calls to that family. There was a time when Jade went nuts and assaulted her mother, when a police officer arrived on the scene she assaulted him, claiming she didn't need to be taken to jail. Something to that extent. Robbie, I can see that boy has some paranoid delusions regarding that puppet of his, he's on record as having been put in a mental ward once by his parents."

"Not surprising."

"Andre seemed fine until you get to the neighbors calling the police over every night because he and his grandmother start getting into these major fights, usually with them screaming at each other until it comes to blows."

"Yikes…well, behind closed doors, right dad? I mean no one is always as they seem."

"No, they're all _exactly _how they seem, Trina. That's the thing. They're nuts, they're all nuts. As a sane father, I shouldn't want them around my children! _Tainting_ my daughter! I've been blind, Tori's been blind, we've all been blind."

"I think Cat's trying to separate herself from them…"

"I'd say good luck with that. I allowed them around you two because your mother _insisted_ I let Tori make friends at Hollywood Arts. For some damned reason I let all that slide, and now look what's going on. I failed as a father, Trina. I have!"

"No you haven't…and stop that, you need to stay strong. That's the only way I can be strong is if you're strong. You know that…"

"Trina. I let your mother talk me into doing something that I typically would be fully against, and because of that, I have one daughter who thinks it's okay to disrespect her family and let her friends walk all over her. She talked me into so many things that normally, I wouldn't even fathom of accepting. I wonder if the best thing I can do to protect her is to send her with her mother."

"No, that would be the last thing you should do, I think. I mean Tori needs you. She may not think she does, but she does. She and I both need you, we love you Dad." She hugged his neck and smiled as he lifted his hand to pat her arm. "It's like Grandpa Jack always says, we're Marston at heart, we have proud blood in us and always rise on top. No matter what, Dad, I know we'll okay. I always know we'll be okay, because we have you."

"You'd be just fine without me, dear, I know you would."

Trina tucked her hair over her hair and laughed, "Nah, I'd be scared out of my mind if I had to face this world without you." She nudged him playfully and he glanced up to her with a smirk playing at his mouth. "Even when I move out and get a job one day, I'm always going to be calling you up. I can see it now: 'Dad might have some advice here', or 'he'll know what to do.'"

"So long as you're not calling me and asking me how to change diapers, I'm fine." She laughed again and leaned in beside him.

"I just don't want you to think you're underappreciated. That's my job, Dad. Tori and I, we would be a lot more lost than we are now if we didn't have you to kick us around every now and then." She looked to the blank television and meshed her eyebrows together. "I thought mom broke up with Gary."

"She did, she just wants to move out of the country and get as far away from here as possible." He sighed deeply and lifted his eyes upwards. "So you didn't tell me why you're up."

"No reason, just a dream, I guess…"

"What was the dream?"

"Six horses, all on fire, and creepy looking riders. They were circling my bed, closing in on me. Then a man showed up with a pistol and scared them away." David raised an eyebrow and smirked teasingly at her.

"Are we going to have to get you checked into the hospital, Trina dear?"

"No!" She nudged him with her elbow and laughed as he leaned away, grinning from ear to ear.

"Strange though, I had a similar dream a couple nights ago. Only they weren't circling me. I was standing on this long stretch of road in the middle of the desert. I had my police pistol at my hip, full uniform on, and I was staring down these six horses with riders all glaring at me, getting ready to charge. They were coming for me." Trina held her breath and felt her heart beginning to race as she visualized her father's dream in her head. It was frightening enough, but the fact that it was the same basic dream was terrifying. "I could hear this old country tune being played on a nearby harmonica and I knew I had to draw my gun. The minute they started charging for me, I drew my gun to fire. At the first shot, I woke up, drenched from head to toe in sweat. I've since put it out of my mind."

"I guess that's the best thing we can do, really. Dreams are just dreams, right?"

"Right."

"Did Grandpa Jack appear in your dreams? Or a tall man in what looks like a trench coat and cowboy hat?"

"No. Neither of those happened." David stood from the couch and started to fold his blanket up. "I think we'd best be going back to bed, I need to be up in the morning for work. I've got a lot of paperwork to fill out."

"Okay Dad. Get some rest. I'll try to get some rest too, maybe I'll check on Tori and see if she's all right."

"I'm sure she is fine. She's grounded though. I know she's eighteen but she's still my daughter and I still reserve the right to ground her if I have to. So even if she's awake, she's probably just moping. It'd be in both of your best interests-" He lifted his eyes to the ceiling and turned away, sighing heavily as his shoulders fell, "Probably in mine too-if you just leave her alone."

"I understand." She couldn't remember Tori _ever_ being grounded, or even having anything taken from her. She was Holly's golden child while Trina was always a daddy's girl. Holly let Tori get away with so much, more than David would have let her get away with.

Let there be no mistake or misunderstanding when her father's concern was, he always loved Trina but sometimes didn't show it if he had a bad day. The reason he acted the way he did when Beck and the others fooled him with their puppet stunt was because he had a headache from working a difficult case and just wanted to sleep it off. Unfortunately it cut his judgment down. Holly was the true neglectful parent, or at least, she was the one that neglected Trina. When her ex, Ross did what he did a few years back, Holly hardly even cared while David was outraged and flabbergasted.

She perished the thought and picked herself up from the couch. Hearing the news about Tori's friends, mostly Beck, indeed terrified her. She never wanted to see any of them out of control, but especially not him. Now she didn't know what to do, she was scared to try and tell her sister about her friends for fear of what they may do to her now that she knew what they'd done in the past.

"I think I'll call Sinjin and talk to him about it some…" It wasn't unusual for her to wake him in the middle of the night, and he never expressed concern over it. He was always willing to be there for her, so she knew she may as well let him be there for her as a friend, and now a lover. She looked to the end table and chuckled under her breath, "With friends like Tori's got, maybe I should start sleeping with my gun under my pillow." Surely, she pondered, John Marston did as such in his life.

* * *

So what do you think of the ominous dreams. Trina's and her father's differ substantially, and for good reason. There's a reason for that man appearing in Trina's dream, along with Jack. Jack's more symbolic while the man is more of a spirit guide, if you will. Let me know


	4. Bad Earthquake

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 4 (Earthquake)

The next day, Trina was out and about with Sinjin, at her request of course. She didn't want to be near Tori when she went out with her friends, which she knew she would do to undermine their father, but she did want to keep watch over them. "So tell me the reason you now don't trust them more than you did before?" Sinjin knew why she didn't trust them, but since he was half asleep last night, he likely didn't remember much.

"Dad told me what he found in their background checks. It's Beck that scares me the most right now." They followed Tori out to a small diner outside town and sat down in several booths away from the corner booth the friends were in, but remained within earshot. Trina had one of her hooded sweaters and baggy pants to avoid detection, and she opted to sit with her back towards the group. Sinjin sat beside her with his wavy hair down his neck making him look like Nicolas Cage with golden hair. He was wearing his contacts and also had a light stubble, he called it a natural disguise from detection.

"So we're spying on your sister who is friends with a bruiser, a screamer, a drunk and possible offender, while also hanging out with a paranoid shithead?" Sinjin looked over his shoulder and stared at the group of friends. "I don't see Cat in there, but she _has_ been separating herself from them lately. Everyone else, yep. Beck, Jade, Robbie, and Andre."

"Where are they sitting? How are they positioned?"

"Okay. Tori's in between Robbie and Andre. Andre's on her left, with his right arm around her shoulders." Tori's eyes widened and she glanced back for a quick second, grimacing at the group. "Robbie's talking about how Rex put his clothes out on the front porch-" Sinjin's face tensed for a second and he looked at Trina as if he'd just eaten a sour lemon. "I always thought there was something wrong with that kid, you know. I mean sure I've collected…odd things…but come on."

"Dad said Robbie was put in the mental ward by his parents a couple times in the past. There's something there, I'm sure of it."

"Oh and here I thought he was perfectly sane!" Trina snickered and nudged him swiftly in the elbow. "Now Beck's on the other side of Andre with his arm linked around Jade's shoulder, and she looks to be extremely uncomfortable."

"Judging from last night, I'm not surprised. She said he wanted her to do something with her, like have sex or something, I don't know, and she told him no. I arrived a little after that, so I'm guessing I put a stop to that without realizing it."

"They were doing that in your house?"

"My room, no less." Sinjin cringed with disgust and turned back around, shaking his head. "They don't have a lot of respect for me, I think you and I both know that already."

"Yeah, I just wish your sister could see all that crap."

"She's blind, she's not used to things being difficult. Dad grounded her and you see she's still out here. She's changed from when we were girls. She's changed a lot."

"And you're worried about her."

"Of course, she's my little sister. I love her no matter how she acts. I see her with those people and I just…what would you do, Sinjin? If Courtney fell into a group of friends like that?"

"She wouldn't. I wouldn't give her enough time with them once I found out how they were like."

"Exactly…"

"So why aren't you doing the same thing?"

"Truth? I'm terrified of them. I'd love to think they could change their ways, but I don't know if change is possible. Then I think of what Beck did to that girl, just like Ross…" She felt herself growing tense while Sinjin clenched his fists on the table and narrowed his eyes. "I'd rather not be beat up, attacked, or even killed by my sister's friends, Sinjin. I'm afraid that if I go warning my sister about them, she'll tell them and they'll attack me."

"That may be a little extreme."

"Either way, I worry."

"I understand. Maybe I should deal with them then? I'm not afraid of them, I can take it."

"No Sinjin, this isn't your problem. It's mine. Or, well, it's Tori's, I don't know. I just don't want my sister to get hurt, and I think she will be…if I don't do something to get her to see."

"I think it's something she'll have to see for herself, Trina. I'm not sure anyone's going to get her to see that."

"Dad is honestly thinking of sending her to England with mom. That is how bad things are getting right now. Last thing I want to do is lose my sister, because Dad and I both know that if she goes to England with mom, we're never going to see her again. Regardless of how she treats me, I _need_ my sister, Sinjin. You don't understand."

"I understand, I do. I wish I knew what could be done, because I would do it. I just don't know if it's too late for your sister or not at this point. I mean, she just turned eighteen, so she's bound to start getting set in her ways."

"I know. I can't stand it, and I'm worried she may be seeing Andre. It wouldn't be so bad if Dad and I weren't so against it. I mean, at least I'm against it, knowing that the neighbors are constantly calling the police to break up the fights he has with his grandmother. How do we know he won't try to manipulate Tori into doing what he wants and he won't get physical if she doesn't? How do we know? Tell me."

"We don't know, but you can't force your sister to change her mind."

"I know, and that's what is killing me the most right now. It's got Dad bent out of shape, I'm worried for my sister and myself, and I think Tori's on a path to nowhere. Tori's quickly becoming one of those popular type cliché girls you see on television-"

"Oh those type of girls are very real. The 'Mean Girl' type? Yeah they're based on reality."

"I know! Do you know what happens to those types, Sinjin? Do you? They flunk out of college, can't get a steady job, end up marrying some addict or abuser, end up getting knocked up and with a lot of kids, and on pills for the rest of their life!"

"That may be a bit extreme."

"I know it is, but there is some grain of truth in all of that. The truth is those types of girls are the ones that are rich, always get their way and think they're above everyone and everything else, so they have nothing to learn. They never needed or wanted, so they expect everyone else to give them everything on a silver platter. Tori is turning into that, and I'm scared for her. I really, really am. She hasn't had to work for anything in her life, Sinjin. Even I had a job during summer once, you remember."

"Oh yeah…" His eyes went hazy and his lips turned up into a smirk. "I don't know how your dad let you work there." The best job she could find at the time was a job waiting tables at Twin Peaks restaurant, she couldn't touch the alcoholic drinks, so another server would have to take those to customers. Of course, she still had to wear the lumberjack uniform all the girls wore. It was a bit uncomfortable for her, but she needed the money, and it was only for the summer.

Trina smacked Sinjin's chest, causing him to yelp and laugh. "Get your mind out of the gutter. You know, what? Every damn day I worked there, there was a different pair of police officers sitting at the bar. I'm pretty sure Dad had something to do with that. I was happy when Sonic offered me a job, I'll tell you that much."

"Oh yeah, and they let you go classic by wearing those roller skates, right?"

"Yeah, it helped get the food to the customer's car faster." Her phone vibrated in her pocket and she peered down. "Hold on." She pulled her phone up and answered the text message. As she read it, the air in her lungs swept away and her eyes widened. "No…"

"What is it?"

"Text from dad, he says it's Grandpa Marston. He-He's gone, Sinjin! I have to check!"

"Tri-"

"I have to see Grandpa Jack." She bolted from the booth and Sinjin looked over his shoulders to see Tori and her friends jerk their heads in her direction. Trina didn't care if they saw her now. Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart began to break. She ran as hard as she could towards the Elderly Acres.

Upon arrival, she found the nurses clearing out her granddad's room. "No! Why are you doing that!" She screamed at a nurse, begging that her granddad not be gone. She knew she should have expected it, he couldn't hold onto life forever. "Please tell me he's not gone…"

"I'm sorry miss." The nurse smiled sadly and placed a hand on her shoulder. She bowed her head as the tears fell along her cheeks. "Mr. Marston passed in his sleep last night, around midnight." Her head jolted up and her heart pulsed before stopping in one beat.

"M-Midnight?"

"Yes ma'am, that's what the doctor said. He went peacefully." The nurse looked over to the room, her lips dipped down into a frown. "Though the residents say they felt the building rattle around that time, but there was no earthquake activity at all. Stranger things have occurred."

"Can I…Can I see granddad's room one more time?"

"Please, go right ahead."

"Thank you." She moved slowly into Jack's room, gazing up tearfully at the photos on his wall. Her body trembled for a moment and her eyes sealed over. "I-I hope you're in a better place Granddad. I know you wanted to go, and I…I understand."

She was going to miss his stories about the old west, about her great-great-great grandfather John. She'd miss hearing his advice when she came to him. However, it was important that she let him go. He was right, she had her dad to be there for her, and now she had Sinjin.

As much as they could fill her heart the way her granddad did, she would always cherish his memory. Her grandfather, George, David's dad, she never saw much of. Emily passed away years ago, so Jack had been her only grandparent.

While gazing at the photos on the wall, one in particular caught her eye. It was a picture of John Marston standing beside Abigail. He had a full black duster coat with a black hat and a feather. His hair was thick and wavy brown, he had a scar on his right cheek and brown stubble.

The man that saved her from the six horses in her dream.

"Grandpa John…but it can't be." Maybe there was a spiritual connection, but she wasn't too big a believer in the supernatural. One myth that was out there was you could have a spiritual connection with ancestors born on the same day and month. April 20th was her birthday and she shared it with John Marston.

Her dream, the earthquake mentioned by the nurse, and Jack's death, could they be coincidence? She chuckled nervously and turned away. "I guess it is time for me to let go…if it's affecting my dreams. Rest in peace Grandpa Jack."

Suddenly the sound of hooves galloping filled the air. She froze and looked around, seeing nothing, but the walls were beginning to turn red. Fear struck her and she ran for the door, only to have it slam shut. With a scream, she grabbed the doorknob and started pulling. "Hey! Let me out! Help!" The walls and the ground trembled and Trina feared an earthquake.

There was nowhere to hide, and she was deathly terrified of earthquakes. She was terrified of the walls falling in on her, or glass shattering over her. As her heart raced, she looked to the window in the room and began to whimper as it started cracking.

"No-no-no…" She returned to the door and continued to slam her fist on it, calling out as the walls started closing in. Perhaps they weren't, but she couldn't know. Panic set in as claustrophobia clamped its icy fingers around her. She looked back at the window and saw the deadly venomous eyes of one of the six horses glaring in at her. It reared its head back with a powerful cry. "Shit…" She took a deep breath and looked down to her feet, trying to calm herself. "Okay, I'm in an open room. Earthquake. I'm seeing things. I need to calm down and assess the situation. Everything will be okay."

The room was turning chaotic and oddly hot, all of the pictures on the wall were crashing around her, save the picture of John Marston. The bed slid against the window, striking it with enough force to make the cracks worsen.

Then, it all stopped. What sounded like a loud clap of thunder startled her. John's picture still hung as if nothing occurred. The door flew open and she fell out of the room, landing on the ground. With a moan, she lifted herself up and looked down the long corridor. Strangely enough, nothing in the hallway looked different from what it had been before the earthquake.

"What in the hell?"

* * *

And all of LA has changed. That was no earthquake she felt, probably obvious. Tell me your thoughts and observations.


	5. The Supernatural

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N: The way this story was partially inspired by my friend Mai. I don't often step into the paranormal or supernatural, but I didn't have a good idea for this story until she suggested it.

* * *

Chapter 5 (The Supernatural)

Trina left the retirement home expecting chaos in the streets, new cracks in the sidewalk, or anything to indicate an earthquake struck. She was afraid that her mind was lost, but once she left the center, what she found confirmed _something_ hit LA.

Cars were piled on top of one another, people were laying motionless in the street and on the grass, as though they were all asleep. There was a dead silence in the air, not even the sound of birds chirping could be heard. Whatever hit LA put _everything_ out, it seemed. As impossible of a thought as it sounded in her head, she took note to run back to the diner where Sinjin and Tori had been.

Upon arriving, she saw Tori and her friends laying on the ground. Some of them were sweating and convulsing while Tori remained as peaceful as the people she'd seen strewn about the city outside. "Tor!" She knelt beside her sister, placing her hands on her shoulders and shaking her. "Tori wake up! Come on!" She placed a hand to Tori's cheek and bowed her head. The color was still there, and Tori appeared to be breathing as her chest was rising and falling. "Please, wake up. Don't do this to me, Tori. Don't do this."

Towards the table where Sinjin had been, she saw him laying on his back. She scrambled to him and studied his body to make sure he was still breathing. "What the hell is going on! Sinjin wake up. Tori won't wake up, her friends are…" She looked over her shoulder, half expecting their trembling, sweat drenched bodies to rise up like something out of a zombie flick. They were still on the ground, quivering and sweating furiously. It was strange to see them in such a state, when no one else she passed over looked in such a way. "I don't know what's wrong with them Sinjin, but come on, please. Wake up."

When he wouldn't respond, she drew her phone and started to call her father. Tears of fear burned her as her throat locked up. The phone continued to ring, but with each deafening ring, the panic inside her grew tremendously. "Come on daddy please answer. Please!" To her dismay, the phone clicked to his voicemail. She fell to her knees and let the phone fall from her hand. "N-No. You can't…" She shook her head and bolted from the diner, screaming out into the bleak sky. "Someone please answer me!"

"Maybe I can help with that?" Her body grew rigid as a familiar menacing voice echoed behind her. She spun on her heels and opened her mouth to scream, but no air left her. Before her stood her ex, Ross. He had a dark grey mist at his feet and burning red eyes. His stringy black hair was floating in the air surrounding his head. His muscular body was covered in scars and blood. This man had been killed in prison under strange circumstances, she knew he had been.

"W-What are you doing here? No. I'm dreaming…Y-You…" Her stomach tightened as she took a step back. Nausea hit her like a tidal wave, bringing her back to her knees. With each step he took she whimpered fearfully. His voice was like poison to her ears and his appearance spawned something so violent within her. She wanted to fight, she wanted to run, but she was paralyzed. "No! Stay away! You can't hurt me anymore! You're gone! You're dead!"

"Do you believe in ghosts, Trina?" Ross stopped for a second and held his hand up in front of his slimy, disgusting face. He chuckled softly and closed his eyes. "I didn't either, until I became one. It's nice to be out of hell for a minute. Someone really wants to pull you down through the ground if they brought me back from hell to kill you."

"No!" Her hands flew to her head and she let out a shrill cry. "Shut up! I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming, I'll wake up from this nightmare."

"Oh no _sweetie_, you're not waking up anytime soon. So let's not make this any harder than it needs to be. They'll release your sister, your pathetic boyfriend, everyone in LA…if you just come with me." Ross glanced to the diner and sneered. "On second thought, no, they want your sister too."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Her body trembled as his shadow fell over her. "I-I'll never go anywhere with you."

"I'm talking about pulling you down to the pits of hell before-" A gunshot rang out and Ross staggered forward. His jaw fell open and his eyes lifted up to the bullet hole that broke through his forehead. Trina covered her mouth and watched as he fell to his knees. "I-Imposs-ible…"

As he collapsed to the ground, Trina looked up to her savior. It was the man in the long coat and black hat. In his hand was a smoking golden pistol. He had a smirk on his face and narrow eyes. _John Marston_. Trina gasped out as he holstered his gun.

"Not impossible when you have a gun that can kill scum like you. Whoever pulled you from hell wasn't thinking right." John stepped over Ross's rapidly decaying body and extended a hand to Trina. She looked up at him with a large amount of fear and concern. "Sorry about that, I tried to get here sooner, but I had some stuff to deal with first. Jack did his best."

"W-What are you talking about. This is a dream right? Or a nightmare…"

"Well it could be. Only, it is reality." Trina groaned and looked back to the diner. "Don't worry, your boyfriend and your sister are fine. Well, sort of. Everyone in LA will be okay." He helped her to her feet and crossed his arms. "Once you finish things up that need to be dealt with."

"What?"

"It's the ghosts back in my old land. They found us, or moreover, found your father." Panic struck her once more and she reached for John's shirt, only to have her hands pass through him.

"What? Dad? No! He's okay right? Tell me he's okay!"

"He's in danger. Edgar Ross wasn't happy when my son went to kill him. Then there's my old gang. Dutch, Bill, Javier…they're all up and angry. Same with Captain De Santa and Colonel Allende. They've all been the angry spirits keeping that land uninhabitable for the last one hundred years." Trina wanted to stop listening at this point, not wishing to believe a word this man was saying. She'd had enough fright for one night.

"Granddad Jack did say something about that…Armadillo, West Elizabeth, that upper portion of Mexico…he did say people haven't been there in ages."

"Right." John rubbed the back of his neck and popped his head to the right. "Because those six spirits have kept them at bay and have been trying to find the Marston family for all these years, seeking revenge. Before he left, my son was given a relic by my old friend Seth that was imprinted into his skin. So long as Jack was alive, that imprint, like a tattoo, would keep the angry spirits from finding the family."

"Then last night-my nightmare…"

"Wasn't so much a nightmare as it seemed like." She put her hand to her chest and resisted the urge to faint on the spot. "Your father's dream was a genuine warning. He's made a name for himself here in LA, quite a name."

"Yeah."

"I have to say…" John beamed with pride and folded his arms back over his chest. "I'm proud. Unfortunately it's his making a name for himself that allowed the spirits to find him. They tried to take you, but I'm…let's say guardian."

"You're my spirit guardian? You've _got_ to be kidding me…"

"I know it sounds like a tall tale. Though I'm standing right in front of you."

"No it's just-I don't believe in ghosts or anything like that. I'm not one of those crazy people that are in tune with the spirit realm or anything."

"Spirit realm may be pushing it just a bit." John tipped his hat up slightly and grinned. "I mean ghosts do exist in the fashion that many see. The paranormal is real. It's just hard to fathom until you see it for yourself."

"There are some things I'd rather _not_ see in the afterlife. Like my ex boyfriend that-" She felt a shiver run down her spine and quickly turned to the diner. "Not important. What is important is what's happening here in LA? I don't know anything about ghosts or all that…I don't know how you expect me to deal with any of it…"

"Well you're kind of the only one that _can_. I mean, this is something a Marston has to do. They have your father. He was sucked into a kind of ghostly looking hole just before everything…" She started to pale and spun around, frantic about the possibility of her father being gone.

"No! Not dad. Not my father. I know you said he was in danger before, but…why…"

"They won't stop until all of the Marston family has been eradicated. They were expecting me to show up here, so I think that's why they're keeping your dad alive. They want you to go down there and find them so they can take you too. However, I don't plan for that to happen, I plan to put them down permanently." He pulled his gun out and twirled it around his finger, smirking as he pointed to the red puddle on the ground behind him. "Kind of like I just dispatched that guy permanently."

"How?"

"Well you see this gun I got? It's special that way. That man had been cremated, so his body was already burned. Edgar had to pull his soul literally from hell, because once the bones have been burnt to ash their souls can no longer walk the realm of the living. I shoot him with this golden gun here, and he's dispatched to some dark oblivion type place, possibly worse than hell itself."

"Oh. Great. I…I don't know what to say." She rubbed her forehead and leaned against the wall of the diner, muttering under her breath.

"Just listen. Trina, that place that is deemed uninhabitable? It's in a similar shape as LA, only many people there are dead now. Here in LA, those spirits put nearly everyone in this city in a comatose state in order to locate you. The only way to wake them up is by dispatching the ghosts. The only way to do that is by burning their bones. Send them to hell once and for all. Doing that will also free all of those still stuck in that town. Like Bonnie MacFarlane, Marshal Leigh Johnson, and even Landon Ricketts. Though, their descendents may be safe…"

"Descendents?"

"Yes." He pointed to the diner door and smirked. "That boyfriend of yours? He's Bonnie's great-great grandson." Trina's jaw dropped and she looked at the diner with a light chuckle. "In fact Bonnie's spirit is in there right now, keeping his mind at ease. See, there's this second issue…and you're seeing it."

"Second issue?"

"Yes, I like to call it an alternative to going to the old west and burning the bones. Though, I don't know if you'd want to be that heartless."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well…" She watched him walk _through_ the wall and felt an icy chill settle in her body. She shook her head and moved in through the doors to see him standing beside Tori's friends. "In attempt to physically locate our family, they need to don physical bodies. They're going after those closest to the Marston's, closest to you and to your sister. Right now, your sister's friends are those people, but it's a fight. They have to feed off their fears, so they're giving them nightmares kind of like the rest of LA is stuck in their dreams while trying to find a way out…"

"Okay so LA's dreaming right now?"

"Yes."

"But Tori's friends are having violent nightmares?"

"Yes."

"I care why?" John raised an eyebrow and started to chuckle.

"Because if they become fearful enough, damaged enough in their nightmares, they're left vulnerable to possession. In which case, if they are possessed, you have to shoot them. That will permanently kill both the ghost holding the person, and the host themselves." Trina froze and began to tense up as she gazed down at the friends. "It is an alternative to going into a land filled with people still stuck one hundred years in the past with no hope of release in search of the bodies that are buried."

"And what if I go down there? What if I fail to find them in time and they wake up in the bodies of Tori's friends? With Tori sitting right here…"

"Like Sinjin, Tori is protected. The ghosts want to locate my grave and my wife's grave to physically burn our bones…but Jack hid our graves well when he left Beecher's Hope."

"So what are you saying? Grandma Abigail is…" She put two and two together in her mind as she studied John. Slowly her eyes drifted to Tori and her body started to relax. "Grandma Abigail is with her, then?"

"Yes, just as Bonnie is with your boyfriend, guiding him through his dreams. If they can get through those dreams, then they'll wake up. Only…that's Sinjin. Your sister?" He frowned and Trina was suddenly overcome with worry. "Abigail's taken control of her dream and turned it into more of a reality. I wouldn't worry too much about that right now. There's actually something more to say in regards to what's going on with your friends, something I hadn't thought about…"

"What?"

"Some of them are descendent from Abraham Reyes. Allende and De Santa want revenge for being overthrown. Their bodies are being withered by the ghosts of El Sepulcro…the ghosts in that cemetery, which is in Mexico, are being controlled by de Santa. Since that is where he is born. In order to truly save your sister's friends, because even if you dispatch these six ghosts the remaining ghosts will still kill Tori's friends by causing so much damage…in order to save them, you have to burn all of Sepulcro's residents."

Trina winced at the thought. She thought by saving the old west and saving LA, she'd be able to save Tori's friends without too much of an ordeal. Now she had to do two separate things in order to save them, save LA, and save her father? "You're kidding…Will I at least get to see my dad again?"

"Yes, assuming you can dispatch the ghosts."

"Tori's friends. They're…they're bad people." Trina started to tremble as she stared down at them. "You want me to save bad people too?"

"Isn't that what a person of the law does?" She froze up once more and clenched her eyes shut. Tori's friends weren't all _bad_, they were just messed up. They did deserve a chance to live and make the right decisions in life. "Why do you decide they're bad people? Because they've done bad things? Made the wrong decisions in life? You're not their judge, Trina."

"I _know_ I'm not." She clenched her fists and pulled her lips back into a slight grimace. "Dad is always saying…it's his job as an officer to save those in danger, even if those in danger are criminals themselves. We can't be judges, we are the enforcers of the law. It's the job as an officer to protect human life…"

"Right. So what does that tell you?"

"That I…" She wasn't truly considering leaving them to die, not once had she really thought about doing that. Tempting as it was to be done with that, to let these strange ghosts eat away at their souls like some sort of succubus, it wasn't the right thing to do. Her father wouldn't be proud of her for it, either. "I have to help them too…why is it all of them? Why is that Santa guy after all of them? Surely they can't all be descendent from that Reyes guy."

"They're not all descendent. I know Beck is. Abraham Reyes was a womanizer who led a rebellion and sadly didn't rule much better than Allende himself. There were many women he made pregnant and abandoned. Beck is one of those descendents, from what I can tell. Same for that Robbie kid. I think De Santa is not sure which on it is, so he's attacking all of them."

"Why do you know and that guy doesn't?"

"Because am considered to be one of the spirits on a higher tier than your average ghost with supernatural capabilities. I know things that they do not know or expect. For instance, they know I was the spirit looking after you but they don't know that I know how to send their sorry asses back to hell. You're going to need me."

"Implying that burning their bones isn't all that's necessary?"

"Oh it'll work for the ghosts of Sepulcro, but for them they are more powerful entities. Burning their bones will bring them to you." He twirled his gone once more and pointed it towards the sky beside his head. "That's where this baby comes in."

"Do you know where they are buried?"

"Other than De Santa…not really…"

"Seriously? You know all the other stuff but you don't know _that?!"_

"Well it's been a while since I've been in that area. You'll have to ask some of the residents that are…still there…"

"More ghosts?"

"Not…exactly." She raised a suspicious eyebrow and he chuckled nervously. "You know how they say the west will never die?" She recalled a statement he made earlier about people still living in the past, so did that mean that people there had been alive all this time?

"You don't mean to tell me those people are still _alive!"_

"And tormented. Pretty sure everyone there has been waiting to die all these years. Sure some, like Landon Ricketts, are already gone. That just means they passed away before 1914."

"Wait. Then how is Bonnie with-"

"Bonnie MacFarlane died during childbirth, she was the last resident of the old west to die before the ghosts cursed the land…" Trina cupped her hand over her mouth and looked towards Sinjin, now understanding why Sinjin didn't remember the name. "The husband took the child and left that region for another land. I think he thought he'd do well here in California."

"My god…"

"I think she considers it a good thing, since her soul is not cursed. Marshall Johnson and the rest, they're all cursed. I'm not really sure that killing the ghosts will free them, you may have to do something else for all I know. I'm sure Seth Briars will have some sort of idea."

"Isn't he the crazy guy that liked to play with the dead?"

"Yes."

She narrowed her eyes and her voice fell flat. "Lovely…why me? Why do I have to do all this? I mean it's enough that I have to save Tori's friends and let them further taint my sister, but you're asking me to save a giant region, along with LA, and my father is missing! That's a lot of weight for one person…I can't bear it alone…"

"You'll do just fine, Trina. You're a Marston after all."

"Vega."

"Same thing. Besides, I'll be there in case you need anything."

"So my only friend in all of this is going to be a ghost? Gr-" With that, John vanished. Now she was left finding a way into a piece of America that hadn't been touched in one hundred years. She let out a heavy sigh and looked towards Tori and Sinjin, wishing for them to be safe. Her eyes moved to Tori's friends and she slowly shook her head. "I hope you guys at least appreciate what I'm doing for you…not that you're likely to know any of it."

* * *

So there's what's going to have to come, it's going to be quite the adventure. What are your thoughts?


	6. A Once Beautiful Land

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 6 (A Once Beautiful Land)

"What the hell am I doing?" Trina had to drive to this mysterious region because all the airports in LA had been, unfortunately, closed down. She took a straight drive rather than stopping every now and then, so she reached the mysterious region. There were three major parts that made up the region. West Elizabeth, which oddly enough was on the eastern side of the entire region. New Austin, which encompassed all of the area from the Texas and lower New Mexico border that bordered along the upper region of Mexico called Nuevo Paraiso.

The second she crossed over into New Austin, however, her car began sputtering. She stuttered as the engine began to fizzle. "What? No! Come on!" She hopped from her car and ran around to the hood, popping it up so she could get a good look at the engine. "You've got to be kidding me!" Thick black smoke was rising up, hitting her in the face and blinding her. She waved her hand through the smoke and started to cough. "Shit!"

"I should have told you about that." John's voice startled her from behind. She whirled around and narrowed her eyes angrily at the man. "I'm sorry, what part of 'stuck in the same time' did you forget? I mean cars do work, just not modern ones. This land is cursed, Trina. Things don't work the same as they do out in the free world."

"So what am I supposed to do? _Walk?_ I'm pretty sure I don't know where to go, much less how much land is from here all the way to-what was the farthest town you said? Blackwater?"

"Right. You need a horse. Or at the very least a stagecoach."

"Those that are still _alive_ in this land, can they see you?"

"I don't know, maybe. Maybe not. They'll probably be able to tell I'm here, I think they know they're cursed. Nigel West Dickens has spent all his time here trying to find a way out of this region." John pointed to the ashen line that formed the entire region like a picture frame. "Anyone in here that steps over that line finds themselves walking right back into this region. For instance, look at the fox to your right…"

"Huh?" She turned her gaze towards a red tailed fox sniffing at the black ash. The animal looked over its shoulder then leapt across the line. She could see an afterimage past the line, but as quickly as it appeared it vanished, and the fox passed back over the line. The creature whined and curled up in a ball. "Even the animals are depressed souls eager to find a way out or to die, unfortunately for those cursed to live here, death isn't an option."

"Isn't? People have _tried_?"

"Some have, yes." John snapped his fingers and a black horse with a platinum mane appeared beside him. Trina was stunned by the beauty of the animal. John pat the horse's neck and smiled at Trina. "This is, or was, my steed. Shadow. You will be able to ride him, he is the fastest horse out in this area."

"If he's a ghost how will I ride him?"

"There's sort of…a blood pact, if you will. Ghost or not, he can be ridden by someone of the Marston blood. He will not exhaust and will take you anywhere you need. Being a ghost, I can go anywhere at any time. No need to worry. Trina, consider yourself the new lawman of this region."

"Excuse me?"

John laughed and waved his hand in the air, "It's only temporary. I just wanted to be able to say that. You will be restoring order, I suppose. Freeing the trapped souls here…"

"So when I do, what happens? Do they all just age? Do they die on the spot? What's going to happen?"

"To tell the truth, I am not completely certain. I suspect mass death is always a possibility. Once you free this land, that is. It will be made livable again, I'm sure modernization will hit it eventually. Yet the trapped souls here deserve to be put to rest. I'm sure some, like Bonnie MacFarlane would love to be able to see their descendents and watch over them."

"Right…I guess I have no choice then." She climbed up onto Shadow's saddle and grabbed the reins, amazed by the fact that she wasn't falling through the horse. "Well. That was unexpected. I was sure I'd be meeting the ground." John laughed openly and smacked Shadow's thigh, causing the animal to rear back. "Hey!"

Trina shrieked as she held onto the reins in an attempt to remain on the horse. Overcome with a sudden burst of energy, the animal took off in a run. "Grandpa John! Why did you do that!" How was she supposed to know where to go? This was insane! Not to mention the constant bumping of the horse was troublesome. She'd ridden before, but not on horses that ran like this, only on horses going through a light gallop. "I'm about to fall off!"

"Now's as good a time to learn to ride as any." John's voice swirled around her, but she couldn't see him anywhere. Trina clenched her eyes shut and scowled at the disembodied voice.

"Not fair Gramps!"

"Get used riding that horse. It's the best means of travel you have right now."

"Easy for you to say, Mr. I'll-float-anywhere! I feel like I've gone insane! More so than usual!"

"Just remember who you're doing all this for. Your father, your sister, your boyfriend…"

"And Tori's friends." She clicked her tongue and leaned forward into the horse while gazing straight ahead. "I never thought I'd have to save their sorry asses. Even when they're the ones ruining my sister's life."

"Don't you worry too much about that, Trina. I'm sure she'll come around eventually. She's a Marston, family is in her blood."

"You know I'm getting real tired of hearing 'you're a Marston'. I get it, and it's inspirational, but _come on!"_

_ "_I know. Still, your sister may need a sharp kick in the rear, but she'll come around."

"The one that scares me most is Beck. I don't want him to hurt her."

"I don't think there's much risk in that, Trina. I think you're more afraid of him doing something to you, aren't you?"

"Er…not something I'd like to admit, but yes. That's why I haven't said anything to Tori yet. I know she'll tell her friends whatever I tell her about them, and they'll confront me, and I'm kind of scared of what they'd do. So yes, I have some anxiety issues." Trina took a deep breath and felt her stomach flip. "Not too happy that the big ghost we're after is named Edgar _Ross_, either. Not that I don't realize he's apparently a different guy altogether, I just…yeah…I've got problems. You know, Sinjin says I'm beautiful, Daddy says I look like a pretty young lady, but I don't know. Tori's friends say otherwise, emotionally and physically, I'm pretty sure I'm as ugly as they say or as Ross says or even as Edgar Ross will…"

She heard a whistle from nowhere, then Shadow stopped moving. "Trina, open your eyes." She straightened herself and slowly opened her gaze to look around at the scenery for the first time. "Even cursed, this land still retains its remarkable natural beauty as far as the eye can see."

The brown desert went on for miles, with patches of beautiful green grass and trees, along with cactus plants spread out among the plains. The desert met the skyline in the distance, and the sky was beautiful blue with puffs of white fluffy clouds. She started to smile as the sun glazed over a nearby crystal clear body of water. The smog of the city was gone and the air was crisp on her tongue.

There was a feeling of peace that this land had, and it touched to her soul. This was the old west, this was the land she fantasized about in her Jack's stories. This land was plentiful, it was beautiful, like nothing she'd ever laid her eyes on before.

"What you'll find here are beautiful mountainous terrain as you move farther northeast of this area. Hills, grass, clean air." John appeared before her and leaned his elbow up onto Shadow's body. "You can look at this land, Trina. What you see, what anyone that lives here sees…some might tire of it, but others never will."

"It is beautiful, isn't it? You'd hardly know it was cursed, that it was…tainted. Dirty. Tainted by someone so foul, so evil and sinister…A man you thought you could trust." Her eyes began to well up with tears. Her chest grew tense and heavy as a sob broke from her lips. "Why would anyone think this place isn't beautiful?"

"I suppose you're not thinking about the land anymore…"

"No. I'm not." She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and quickly shook her head. "But I see what you're saying Grandpa, I do."

"You are as beautiful as the land you see before you. To the people here, they may think it's cursed and tainted. Tainted it is not, but cursed, it is." John looked over the pasture and shrugged his shoulders. "But even that is just a matter of opinion. To someone, this land could be paradise. Heaven. Even you could settle in this land and age, because you were never cursed. I tell you many people have wandered into this area since the curse began, and many have since settled and passed away all their own."

"So it's not as inhabitable as thought?"

"Well as you've discovered getting here is no task, and once you're in you can't really leave so easily. So no, it's never been modernized obviously. My point still is that I know someone did something bad to you and it's filled you with anxieties that you hide away."

"I don't hide them away, I just…I deal with them. I've dealt with them just fine until my ex's ghost showed up."

"And that's good, it shows strength. You are strong and I believe you will always be strong enough to take any obstacle in your way. But to tell yourself that you are not beautiful, to tell others they are wrong when they say you are…You discredit yourself, you bring yourself down, and for what?"

"I think sometimes I don't feel like I am." She looked out to the open land and a crease folded over her forehead. "Who…why would anyone want to defile something so beautiful? To take advantage of that?"

"I think the answer is simple. There are monsters out in this world, demons. People who don't understand that in order to be able to hold onto something so beautiful, you have to learn to appreciate that beauty and to take care of it, not abuse it." John shook his head and looked up to Trina. "I don't know what that monster did to you, and it's clear you're doing the best you can to move ahead from that. Just remember that not only can he not hurt you anymore, he didn't make you any less beautiful or less strong than you are."

"Just like what Edgar did to curse this land…it's still beautiful as far as I can see…"

"Exactly. Maybe you shouldn't say this land is cursed, Trina." Trina chuckled softly and nudged Shadow gently to start walking in a small trot. The horse whinnied and began moving. John walked with her.

Trina's body tensed as the distant memory returned to her head. She closed her eyes and felt a tremor of disgust rising inside her. "It wasn't violent, but I wasn't ready…I was only fifteen. I've tried to date since him, but they never worked out. I became clingy, I became obsessed with trying to have something to erase that memory. Once I stopped worrying, I finally decided to date the one that was always there. Sinjin…and he's been a good man to me."

"He listens to you? Is there for you?"

"Yes. He's really helped me grow and move on, so has Dad. So it's been difficult getting to this point, but…"

"Is it all right if I ask what happened? I don't mean to pry."

"It's okay." Trina closed her eyes and took another deep breath. "We were at his place, he had a headache and was taking a nap while I was doing homework." Her body grew rigid as she fought back the emotions rising up to strangle her. She'd moved past this, she kept telling herself. She'd actually shared her story before, but only on an internet forum devoted to privacy, and with Sinjin. "He started complaining about the headache and asked that I cuddle with him, so I thought it was…innocent enough." John's face tensed and his eyes grew dark with anger. "I thought I could trust him. So I lay beside him and he…he touched me. I told him no, he said it would help his pain, I kept saying no and tried to get up but I froze up and he-" She choked up as the pain grew tremendous and her chest began to ache as her nostrils and throat burned. "I-I stop there, I don't want to say anything more."

"It's all right, you don't have to."

"I shouldn't have been there, I shouldn't have even-I should have gone home and did my homework there. I should have just-" She closed her eyes and shook her head. John reached up and pat her hand, which was a relaxing gesture.

"There was nothing you could have known, it wasn't your fault. You're safe, you're fine. You didn't know what he would do, he knew. If anyone is to blame, it is him, _not you."_ She sniffed and slowly nodded as John pulled his hand from hers. "You're all right now, and that's what is important. Remember"

"I try to be all right, I really do. I haven't…I mean sure I think about it still from time to time, and it scares the hell out of me. My dad managed to get him thrown in jail. I don't know what happened exactly, but I know he died in prison."

"Then he will no longer be able to do to anyone what he did to you. Perhaps bear that in mind, if you can."

"I will. Thank you…" She cleared her throat and started to scan the area. "So where are we exactly, Grandpa?"

"It looks like we're near the edge of Gaptooth Ridge." A map appeared in his hand and he handed it up to Trina. She unrolled the map and raised an eyebrow as she studied it.

"Any ideas where I should head first? Armadillo is where Marshall Leigh Johnson is, right? Maybe we should start by talking to him."

"I don't know, he retired and moved away from Armadillo before the ghosts did their work around here. It's possible he could be in that town up north." He pointed to a town on the map named after a rattlesnake. She hummed under her breath and looked up. She really wanted to find someone _important_, someone that Jack spoke about in his stories.

"I want to find someone with a name I recognize. It's possible that they might have an idea." Sure, for a place with people who have likely tried a million ways in a hundred years, ideas were likely to be scarce. "Surely there are people who haven't given up. Like Nigel West Dickens, or that gravedigger Seth. Hell, if Seth was as freaky as he was in your time, I'm sure he still is."

"He may be the most sane person here now, Trina. Hell, when you can't die and can't age, trapped in limbo for one hundred years, any sane man will go crazy. The ones that are already crazy may end up being the best capable of adapting."

"Weren't there outlaws and criminals running amuck?"

"Yes and it wouldn't surprise me to find a few hogtied here and there." He pointed off to the left and Trina followed his gesture, chuckling at a person struggling on the ground. His wrists and ankles were bound with rope. The man looked up to Trina with large, empty eyes as her shadow fell over him.

"Kill me," the man begged. "Please…I've been left here. I don't know how long, it's been many days and nights. I've been hungry but I've not died of starvation. I've been ill but I've not succumbed to disease." Trina's heart went out to him and she slowly closed her eyes, unable to contain her anger and sorrow for this man.

"Why were you tied, sir?"

"I robbed a man of his steed and coin, he left me tied here. Please…" She didn't want to kill anyone, even if it was a mercy kill. Yet she knew sometimes it would be necessary. Yet, if people could not die, then how could she honestly do the job?

"I'm sorry sir, it seems like death left this land…but I will find a way to free you." The man started to sob and Trina slowly got off Shadow. The second she touched ground, the man scowled and rolled for the nearby cliff. "Wait, sir, don't-" She reached out to him, but it was too late, the man was now screaming along the Cliffside. She lowered her hand and bowed her head as John stepped behind her. "Is there nothing we can do?"

"Not right now, I'm afraid…If only it were so easy. Come, we best go." She turned away and looked up ahead of her to see a strange stagecoach with the word 'Elixir' on the side. There was a sad rotund man sitting on the seat behind the horses pulling the wagon. He wore a top hat and a suit. John smirked and nudged her side. "Well I'll be damned, it's Dickens."

"Who?"

"Nigel West Dickens…the con artist that helped me catch Bill Williamson."

"Oh! I suppose it would do some good to talk to him. Like I said, he could possibly have ideas. Granted we're more worried about finding the graves of those outlaws." In which case, Seth may be better help. Yet, Seth was only found by John by way of Nigel, so it was likely Nigel knew where to find him now.

* * *

They've entered the old west, and it looks like the people there have lost a lot of their own faith and spirits Though being stuck somewhere for a century will do that to you. What are your thoughts?


	7. Frozen in Time

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 7 (Frozen in Time)

Trina rode out next to Nigel's wagon and brandished her arm to get his attention. "Hello there Nigel! Nigel West Dickens!" The man looked up from his horses and glanced at her with a funny look. He huffed and sat straight up, his white moustache hairs flickered out. "I'm Trina, I heard you were selling these miracle cures and was hoping we could talk."

Nigel's eyes drifted to his horses and his voice came out slow and depressive, much different than the once upbeat tone Jack always described. "I don't know who told you that, I haven't sold anything in this infernal town in what must be…twenty years now? Fifty? God I don't know. I think I've stopped counting to be honest."

"So you're just wandering around? Why?"

"Why not. Being stuck in one town can become a burden. I think I've seen about all of New Austin, Mexico and West Elizabeth than I care for." The man's eyes started to well up with tears as he hunched back over his hands. "You know when I first came here, god knows how long ago, I left my wife and children, and grandchildren to be able to make some money to bring home. Now I'm certain they've all gone ahead, but I'm not sure. It really doesn't seem like time's changed any."

Trina looked to Shadow and pondered if it was a good idea to leave her horse. She knew John would be able to look after the animal, so it couldn't be a bad thing. "Well it has…" She carefully stepped off the horse and climbed onto the wagon beside Nigel. "I know it's going to sound weird-"

"Stranger than man living forever and trapped in wilderness where everyone, even outlaws, beg for the sweet release of death? No man has aged, though time has not stood still. I feel no older than sixty-eight, and I was sixty-eight over a hundred years ago. So tell me, what could possibly be stranger than that?"

"The fact that you're comfortable talking about it?" Nigel scoffed and waved his hand in the air.

"Hogwash, when you've lived your entire life in one place unable to leave and with no one to talk to, it doesn't seem to matter. Everyone stuck in this region talks about the fact that we _can't bloody die. _I almost miss John Marston, no doubt he doesn't miss me."

Trina chuckled lightly as John appeared beside her, smirking at the old man. "Funny you should say that. You see, I know what's going on. I'm John's great-great-great Granddaughter, and the year is 2013." Nigel stammered over his words and gave her a slight look of disbelief. He stared at her clothes, which were the typical wear of her modern day, then looked away.

"Well you are wearing a wardrobe that I have never seen a woman of my time wear."

"Why? What's wrong with jeans and a t-shirt?" She spread her arms out and looked down at her outfit. John leaned into her and whispered.

"Women in the early 1900s wore full dresses and had their hair up." Trina gagged at the thought of having to wear a dress to 'fit in' with the locals.

"Ugh! I hate dresses!" John laughed and Nigel raised an eyebrow.

"So…Jack grew up and had a kid huh? Must be nice to see his family."

"Jack...actually passed away recently."

"Again. Must be nice." Nigel furrowed his brow and Trina let out a heavy sigh as she stared ahead at the ears of the horses in front of them. It may be difficult to deal with a region full of depressed people that literally wanted their lives to end. "So how did you get here and why are you here?"

"Well, that's what I can explain. You see, it's the ghosts of the people my granddad put away. They're led by a man named Edgar…Edgar Ross." Nigel froze and looked back at her with a surprised expression, possibly the most emotion she saw in his eyes since meeting. "Anyway, there's a curse they put over this land. Seth Briars gave Jack a tattoo to keep his family hidden from restless spirits, I guess the man was in tune with death or something, I don't know, but regardless the ghosts could not find us until Jack passed away. Now I have to go around and burn the remains of those ghosts in order to free this town, free my hometown, and my family." She took a deep breath and leaned back. "I _know_ it sounds difficult to believe. Impossible, really, but-"

"You know. At this point I'd believe anything…"

"Really?"

"At this point it's the most logical explanation I've heard for all of this. I swear though, going to Armadillo and listening to that screwed up store owner moaning about how either the Jews, the Mexicans, the Christians, the atheists, or whoever the hell is responsible for this mess…accusing just about everyone and everything."

"Store owner?"

"Herbert Moon," John informed, "He's probably the most bigoted and pigheaded man in all of New Austin. I almost have to say, I'm sorry to see his unfortunate soul was stuck here with all the rest of these poor people. I'm not sure what's worse, really. The curse, or having to sit through one of Herbert Moon's racist lectures."

"Ouch…"

"It's funny," Nigel remarked with a laugh. "I've seen so many people take a shot at Herbert Moon, even shooting him outright in the head…only to have him get right back up and laugh in their face." Trina lifted her eyebrows as Nigel leaned back, his lips started to turn up and his eyes held a peculiar dazzle that John appreciated as familiar. "If you are who you say you are, John's descendent, then I'm glad to have met you. I'm not surprised it's another Marston here to correct things."

"Yeah. I don't seem to have much choice anyway." John rolled his eyes as Nigel started to laugh. "What?"

"Oh it's nothing. John used to say that all the time when he was hunting those outlaws. I guess it's because he didn't have one, that damn Edgar Ross was out for himself really. You know Edgar's wife is still here. She's the one responsible for those damned ghosts, if anyone."

"What? Why do you say that?" This was a startling new development. John looked away as Nigel stared ahead, shrugging his shoulders.

"She's always saying she charmed Edgar's grave, hoping he'd come back to her."

"What she ended up doing was triggering this damn curse," John chortled to Trina's amazement. "Ghosts already exist. Edgar was roaming around as well as Bill and the others. She just made him more powerful, that's all. With the power she gave to him, unwittingly, he banded together those seeking revenge and spread this curse out on the land, hoping to have trapped Jack. Only Jack already got away by then."

With Seth's help, Trina muttered beneath her breath. She pounded a closed hand into her palm and looked up to Nigel. "Mr. Dickens, I have to find Seth Briars. He may know where to find the graves or what to do."

"All right. Well, he could be down at the Old Coot's Chapel, or maybe just down at the old Bacchus Place. He's been staying away from cemeteries these days." John gasped and Trina looked over to him with concern. "I think in the, what did you say, one hundred years? I think in all that time he's gotten bored with digging up dead folk."

"Either that or they all decayed," John remarked. "Those who died before the curse were not susceptible. Only the six ghosts we're after and the restless spirits of Sepulcro would remain intact. All others would have decayed to the point only their bones remain. Unfortunately bones don't hold much interest to Seth."

"I see…"

Nigel glanced over and huffed once more, "I notice you keep talking to yourself. Why is that?" She cringed for a minute and turned to Nigel.

"I'm not really talking to myself. This may sound crazy but you know the whole thing about ghosts? Well, I kind of have this…how would you say…spirit guide?" Nigel raised an eyebrow at her and John started to smirk. "It's John. He's with me now."

"John? Really? So you can see him?"

"Apparently."

John leaned back and closed his eyes. "A ghost actually can make themselves visible to anyone they want." Trina stiffened and snapped her glare onto him, irritated as he said otherwise earlier.

"You told me no one could see you, Gramps!"

"I know. I didn't want to have to bother making myself known. Seth, actually, would be the likeliest person to see me without me trying." He snapped his fingers and slowly began to flicker. Nigel's jaw dropped as John looked up to him and with a smug grin. "Hey old man, it may be a hundred years, but the back of your wagon _still_ reeks of 'miracles'." Nigel started to tear up and moved his hand to his chest.

"Oh god, I can't believe it's really you! You and your lovely granddaughter. You've really come back to this town?"

"Yes Dickens, I'm going to try and save you. Again." Nigel huffed and put his hands to his hips.

"It's not like I'm being chased down by customers anymore. I've given up that lifestyle now."

"For what? Just to be a drifter?"

"We've lost a lot in this area, John…But god it is good to see you after all these years, even if you are just…a spirit." Nigel reached over to touch him, but his hand swept through John's shoulder. John looked away mournfully as Nigel stared down at his hand with growing despair. "An image…what's going to happen to us John?"

"I imagine when Trina and I are finished, the people trapped here will be free. I don't know if that freedom means living or dying. Many of the people you knew that were outside of town have moved on with their lives." Nigel bowed his head and pulled the brim of his top hat down to cover his eyes. "Many of them have had children and grandchildren by now."

"Then it sounds like we'd be better off if freedom meant our passing into the next world, huh? Whatever world that is…Many of us thought we already died, thought we were already in hell. Many of us don't even believe in a God anymore, or heaven, or really hell."

"Oh they exist. Believe me they exist. I just sent a man pulled from hell into oblivion. I came down from heaven myself to guide my granddaughter during this time. There is a God, and He wants this curse broken more than anyone. Yet there is also a Devil and he's willing to do anything to keep things just the way they are. Why do you think it's six ghosts controlling this land? But don't you worry Nigel, we're going to sniff them out and we'll send you back to the pastures where your family waits for you. All of you, every last one whether outlaw or lawman will be at peace."

"I hope you're right Mr. Marston. I truly, truly do. I'm not sure if anyone here could take another century trapped here. Not that we have much choice."

"No…"

"I can take you to Armadillo, but that's as far as I'm able to go. I'm tired and the sun is going down. The wild animals here have grown to become more vicious than ever at night."

"I suppose we can settle in town if it's the nearest."

"It is." Nigel looked up to the sky and smiled as the clouds rolled by. "You remember Marshall Johnson?"

"Yes."

"He's returned to Armadillo, he did many years ago when the sheriff that took his place went nuts. Been there ever since."

"Oh!" Trina uncrossed her legs and sat up with excitement. "That's perfect! I was hoping to meet him."

"Well you'd be in luck. He's one of the few men in this land that hasn't completely lost his spirit. Moreover, I think he regained it along with a sense of pride. I'm not sure, but I suppose being the way we have been for so long will do that to a person. Some of us just aren't the same people we used to be. So be prepared for that."

"We will be."

"Good. Now it's a bit of a long drive to Armadillo, so kick back and relax. We'll get there when we get there."

* * *

So it is en route to Armadillo. What are your thoughts?


	8. Tori's First Reality Check

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 8 (Tori's Reality Check Part 1)

Tori opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by rolling green mist. She moved her hand to her forehead and glanced around in the grey area. Visibility was low and she didn't feel any pain, just confusion. "Wh-where am I?" She looked up to see a woman in a blue dress with her brown hair up in a bun. She wasn't incredibly tall, but had a slightly similar skin tone as her. "Who are you? What are you doing with me?"

"Me? I'm protecting you, really. From the beasts and demons out there, and maybe…just maybe from yourself." The woman turned around and gazed down at her with a slightly strict expression. She greatly resembled the woman in the photograph on the wall of Granddad Jack's room. That would be impossible, though, since Abigail Marston died in 1914.

"Okay. What's going on!" She started to stand but was immediately overcome by a sense of agony and nausea. "Whoa I feel funny…"

"Be careful. You're not exactly yourself right now." Abigail moved towards her, still gazing with her menacing, yet serene eyes. Was this woman evil? Was she good-hearted? She couldn't tell. Abigail closed her eyes and started to chuckle. "Fret not, I will not hurt you. I can't answer all of your questions right now, but I will soon. For now, you're free to go. The door is…that way…" She followed where the woman was pointing and sighed with relief once she saw a wide set of double doors.

"Oh thank god!" She rushed for the door and grabbed the handles with her hands. She looked back as Abigail set her hands together at her hip and smiled kindly. It was strange that Tori couldn't be sure whether to be concerned, frightened, or relaxed. There was something calming about this woman, while at the same time, she was concerned something terrible awaited her behind these doors. "Okay, thank you stranger. I'll see you later, I guess…bye!"

"Yes…" The tone of voice the woman was using was somewhat sinister for her, but it was enough to make her open the doors and leave. Whatever was waiting for her outside was something that she wanted to see more than wherever the hell she was at now. "I will see you later, Tori Vega. Don't you worry about that…"

As she stepped outside, she saw the familiar cafeteria of Hollywood Arts. She tucked her hair over her ear and laughed happily as she looked towards the table she and her friends usually sat at. Though they were all graduated, they still sat there.

Only there was something that didn't feel right, a nagging sadness that was inside of her. She put her stomach over her belly and groaned as a wave of nausea struck her."Great, I'm sad and I'm sick, what more do I need?" She glanced over to see Sikowitz walking by with Sinjin. Unlike her friends, she knew Sinjin was just a Teacher's Assistant, but that didn't mean she didn't tease him about it with them.

She was startled when he looked over at her with the most vicious and fiery glare. It was almost as if he were telling her to rot in hell, but _why_ would he say something like that? Then again, why would she infer such a thing from such an angry glare. Tori could feel the fire of his eyes burning deep into her soul. How much hatred could he harbor against her?

"Sinjin! What's your problem? Sikowitz, tell your assistant to stop looking at me like that!" Sinjin ignored her and Sikowitz stopped moving, lifting his head up and gasping aloud.

"What was that?" Sikowitz asked. "It sounded like my former star pupil! Wanting more attention, I presume." When he looked her way, she felt a deadly chill down her spine. "What is it now? As if what you've caused couldn't give you enough attention. I hope you have a nice flight, Vega. You'll need all the relaxation you can get."

"Flight? What?"

"How about you go home and find out," Sinjin retorted in a tone full of malice and aggression. "You finally did it didn't you? You and your stuck up, Princess attitude."

"Princess? I'm no princess!" With that both Sinjin and Sikowitz broke out in laughter. Her jaw dropped and she made a hasty attempt at defending herself. "I'm not a princess! I'm not a diva!"

Sikowitz stopped laughing and hooked his finger at his chin, tapping it gently as he studied her. "No I suppose not. You just like to get everything you want and to have everyone treat you nicely while you let those scumbag friends of yours degrade you and your family."

"What? You've never spoken like that before, Mr. Sikowitz. What's wrong?"

"As if you don't know."

"I think she honestly doesn't know," Sinjin replied. "Which shouldn't surprise me, to be honest. She never gave a damn at all about anyone but herself."

"Sinjin! That isn't true!"

"Shut up _Princess_. I'm done being cordial to you. You don't deserve kindness. For what it's worth you should be in with Beck and Andre, but I guess word of mouth isn't a crime."

"What?" She was taken aback. "Word of mouth?"

"Now if you excuse me, we were just going to see my girlfriend…" Girlfriend? Yes, Trina, maybe Trina could tell her what was going on! She raced towards the house, stopping once her stomach let out a violent scream of pain from the nausea. She fell to her knees, holding her stomach as the intense pain flared up. She tensed herself, preparing herself to throw up, but that extreme never came.

Grateful, she pushed herself up and continued to run for the house. When she entered, the lights were off and the house was silent. Trina was usually busy doing aerobics, but oddly she wasn't working out or practicing martial arts, and she certainly didn't take naps at this time. "Why is the house so quiet?"

She moved quietly inside and stared down at a folded newspaper on the end table. There was an article that caught her eye, she saw Jade's name and instantly picked it up. Her hands began to tremble as she read the title. _Mother sentenced in murder of daughter._ Jade got into an abusive fight with her mom, nothing more than usual, but this time her mother went too far and pushed her out of the house. Jade tripped and slammed her head on the concrete steps, where she bled to death. Mrs. West said the fight was started as a result of something Jade's boyfriend had done. Not to her, but indirectly linked to another case.

Why was Beck's name coming up multiple times here? She raised an eyebrow and lowered the newspaper. "I'd better call him and see how he's holding up." She pulled out her phone and dialed his number. To her dismay, it never connected, only saying that it was no longer in service. "What the hell?"

"I'd ask the same question." Her father's voice startled and relieved her. She turned to see him in the doorway, but was baffled by the look on his face. His shoulders were slouched, his hands heavy and his expression was mournful. "I thought I confiscated your phone. I suppose it doesn't matter. Are you done packing?"

"Packing?"

David raised an eyebrow and walked past her. "You do know you're going to England to live with your mother, right?" Tori was thrown back by his remark. She didn't even know he was _thinking _of sending her to her mom!

"Uh uh, there's no way in hell I'm living with mom! You must be out of your mind, Dad!" David's lips thinned over as he slowly looked her way. She realized how her words sounded and hadn't meant to sound so uppity. "Look Dad, I don't know when you were planning on telling me about this, but I don't want to live with Mom. I want to stay here. With you. With Trina…" His eyes began to grow misty and he immediately turned away.

"You don't have a choice anymore, Tori. I've told you that. I've been thinking about this for months, I've also told you that, unless you've forgotten the argument we had a when all this mess started. Your mother's been demanding I send you _and_ your sister over to her."

"And you're only sending _me?_ Why? I mean come on, everyone knows no one likes-" She covered her mouth and David instantly glared at him. His somber mood turned into a raging inferno in the snap of his fingers.

"Why the hell do you talk about your sister like that? Where did I go wrong, Victoria? So wrong that you would treat your family like they were nothing! I didn't want to send you to your mother, I was fighting for both of my daughters, but you've shown me that I was wrong. I failed as a father since I couldn't raise my two daughters to love each other like two sisters ought to!"

Her heart shattered and she felt her knees threatening to buckle. Tears welled up in her eyes and she instantly shot back. "What are you talking about? I love Trina! I do."

"Tell that to your boyfriend and his friend in prison. Your sister was only trying to help you, that's all, but you were too damned blind to listen. Now you've gone and got yourself knocked up, your sister's in the hospital, all because you didn't want to listen to a damn word."

"What?!" She put her hand to her stomach and looked down with wide eyes. "I-I-No I can't, we haven't…I mean we talked about it sure, but-" How did her dad even know about Andre? They were keeping it secret from him and from Trina. Speaking of Trina, did she hear correct that her sister was in the hospital? "Trina's not…she's okay, isn't she?"

"She's in a coma, Tori." David waved his hand through the air and started for the stairs. He put his forefinger and thumb to his eyes and began to weep, his body trembled like that of a great mountain falling apart. "I'm losing both my daughters. My god…" He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and breathed in deep. "Grab your things Tori, the airplane is leaving in two hours and your mother's waiting over in London."

"No. I'm not going…"

"You have to, I'm not giving you an option."

"No! I want to see Trina."

"I'll take you to the hospital on the way to the airport if you're that concerned all of a sudden."

_All of a sudden?_ She closed her eyes and shook her head, still not wanting to believe all this. It felt too real to be a dream, so she was almost sure it wasn't a dream. Yet, some things didn't make any sense.

She remembered falling into an unconscious state, but nothing after that. Perhaps she'd been comatose too? Either way, she needed to get to the bottom of things.

The hospital didn't provide much to see. She walked into Trina's room to see many tubes and wires going in and out of her body. Trina was bruised from head to toe and had dried blood around the corner of her lips and her nostrils. Tori put her hand to her chest and began to choke back on her sobs.

Seeing Trina this way was too much for her, far too much. Cat was standing near Trina with her roommate, Sam. When Cat looked over, she gasped out and slipped behind Sam, much to Tori's surprise. "Where is Sinjin?" Tori asked as she looked to her sister's motionless body. "I-I thought he was coming to visit…"

"He's gone to the bathroom." Cat spoke timidly and stepped out from behind Sam. "I didn't think you would bother to show up around to see Trina before you left."

"I don't understand…"

"What's not to understand?" Sam retorted in her snippy tone. "You're the one that caused her to be put here in the first place. That's what Cat says. You and your big mouth."

Tori put her hand to the end of Trina's bed and gazed down tearfully as she gazed at Trina's bruised form. "M-Maybe tell me…what I did…so wrong."

"It's so like you to act so innocent!" Cat screamed. Tori jerked her head up and covered her mouth as Cat flared up with rage. "You came to us. Beck, Andre, Robbie, Jade, Me…These were your words, Tori. _Your words_: 'My sister's being a diva and told me that you're all dangerous, that Beck and Andre are violent and have assaulted people.'" Tori was in shock, she never even heard of this information before. Would she even tell them if Trina said something like that to her? Evidently she did and she came down with an incredible case of amnesia.

"I-I don't think I would ever-and Jade…she's…"

"What? You don't remember the fight you caused her and Beck? You said Trina told you he tried to assault his last girlfriend…She got upset and ran to her mom to try and calm down, but her mother only made her feel worse and got into a fight. Then look what happened. After you went and made your sister out to be a total bitch, Beck and Andre beat her into a coma…"

"Why would they do that? I don't…I don't understand…"

"Because they are dangerous," replied an officer walking into the room. She turned around to see the woman from earlier in a full police officer's uniform and a police cap. She crossed her arms and looked towards Trina. "Beck Oliver's prior girlfriend indeed had the police called on him because she wouldn't 'put out', or however you kids today say it. Andre Harris often gets into fistfights with his grandmother because she's so crazy. Robert Shapiro is paranoid and has been put in the mental hospital for that puppet. It appears, miss, that your sister tried to warn you that you were getting into the wrong crowd…and it looks like Beck and Andre retaliated because they didn't want their prior crime getting out into the open."

"That's right," Cat nodded fiercely, "You sold your own sister out, Tori! _You _did this, not us. Sinjin was right to say he hates you now. You never cared about Trina. You let things get too out of hand!"

"No!" Tori screamed and let her hands fly to her head. "I'm not like that, I'm not that way!"

"Give it a rest." This time it was Sinjin. She looked up as the man walked into the room, scowling at her. She'd known him as long as Trina had, since before Hollywood Arts. "When you started going to that damn school, all you cared about was getting accepted. It changed you. You used to be sweet, kind, you used to gie a shit about your family and wouldn't let anyone walk all over you or them. Now, all you cared about was being popular, being the star…well congrats, you're the star now." Sinjin smirked and motioned his thumb to the hospital doors. "Hope you'll be big and popular in England, Tori. Good luck."

"No. This isn't real. Come on, this can't be. I would never-"

"Actually you would," Abigail replied in a sad voice. Tori's eyes widened and she watched the woman walk away. As she departed, Tori felt a shift of nausea in her and fell to the floor as darkness descended upon her.

* * *

For Tori, this is no dream, it is purely authentic.


	9. To Survive, Survive Hell

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N: We will take a brief look at the nightmares that the friends are having. Tori's dream takes place in parts that will usually be while Trina is still traveling and hasn't stopped in a town.

* * *

Chapter 9 (To Survive, Survive Hell)

Beck screamed as fire burned his body, his eyes were in such pain that blood was being squeezed out of them like a lemon. He didn't know if he was in hell or if he was dreaming, but one thing was certain, this was nothing pleasant. He felt his hands being stabbed constantly with large daggers and various pinpricks. His hair was sticking to the sweat on his skin and his chest was heaving in and out with such speed that he thought he'd burst open.

"H-Help! For the love of god help me! Somebody! Please!"

"Oh God can't do anything for you now." A cold chill ran down his spine as he twisted his head to see a man walking towards him. "You're not exactly in hell, but what can I say? This is your hell and I'm your devil. Take a moment, do I look familiar to you? You have seen me before, Beck."

"W-What?" He studied the man as a sharp pain ran along his body. After a second, an image of this man in passing shot through his head. Years ago, this was a man that Trina dated. The man put his hand to his ear and grinned widely. "Ross?"

"Ah yes! Though you could say I am also you." Ross walked around to Beck's wrists, which were bound to a large oak desk that he was laying upon. A cigar appeared in Ross's hand and he slowly moved the burning cigar to Beck's wrist. Beck screamed out in agony as the burn eroded his skin. "Oh come now Beck, surely that's the least suffering you're going to be enduring, and let me say, some of these scars remain."

"How the fuck am I you?!"

"Well let me explain." Ross chuckled darkly as he walked a few paces away from Beck. "First of all, I'm dead. I was sent to hell. I was pulled out of hell, then shot with a golden gun that sent my actual soul into oblivion. I am merely the form that the devil has chosen to take. Why? Because, well, who better than the very man you're turning into!"

"What?!"

"Can your soul survive these nightmares?" Ross spun around, his face turning devilish and his eyes burned with the fire of a million suns. Beck screamed as he began to lose some of his vision. Ross's voice deepened and started to distort. "So what's it going to be pretty boy, will you sell your soul to your demons?"

"I don't understand."

"That moment in passing, you said something about me that I find rather funny." Ross leaned over him and stared into his eyes, chuckling menacingly. "You said I looked like a womanizer, someone that wouldn't treat his woman right and be out for sex. Well _guess what_ Beckett, the irony is, you're exactly like me!" Beck screamed out in protest, denying his womanizing ways. He never touched a woman in his life, sure he might have pushed Jade or other girlfriends, he may have scared a few, but it never went anywhere. Ross leaned upright and smirked. "You know something? I don't particularly care if you feel like shit. Let me tell you, you were right. I am an offender, or I was."

"H-H-Huh?"

"Let's just say certain people don't think too fondly of me, and that's putting it nicely." Beck raised an eyebrow and looked down to his body as he felt another sharp pain digging into his abdomen. He had the urge to vomit and cry, but he couldn't. Ross placed a cigar in between his lips and leaned upright as though he were trying to appear like a mafia man. "These cigars taste and reek of hell. You should get used to them Beck, they'll be there where your soul is heading."

"No! I'm not going to hell!"

"The path you're on? It's treacherous. I know your type, Beck. You see, I was your type. Your soul is weak, your spirit is weak, if you don't survive your nightmares, you will not survive this experience. So who better to tell you of the path you have chosen than the very type of person you're going to turn into."

"Shut up!"

"No I'm afraid you have to hear me." Ross locked his hands behind his wrist and began walking towards Beck's feet, looking back over his shoulder. "You may never have fully assaulted a woman, but don't try and deny that you've tried. You have considered it, you have thought about it, and you've tried. Every time your girlfriend tells you 'no', you want to push more and more."

"That's just it! I know it's wrong! Because I know it's wrong, I won't do it! You see- " Ross threw his head back and laughed, filling Beck with fear and uncertainty.

"Oh _Beckett!_ You see it doesn't work that way in real life." Ross spun on his heels and narrowed his eyes. "You see a monster doesn't have to care even when they do know right or wrong."

"Go to hell!"

"I've been there, Beck…it's a nice place, really. A lot better than oblivion, complete and empty darkness, but I guess that's what happens when you have to kill the same person you attacked years ago."

"What and who are you talking about?"

"No. You see. You don't get to know that information, Beck. I don't know why, but you don't get to know." Ross unlatched his arms and reached down, setting his hand on Beck's knee. Sudden burst of fire shot out into Beck's leg, incinerating it. Beck screamed out and breathed with a heavy pant.

"Please! Stop doing this!"

"I'm only giving you a taste of what's to come."

"No! I don't believe you. I know it's wrong to hurt a woman like that, so I would never!"

Ross rolled his eyes and mocked him by mouthing the words he was saying. Beck whimpered as the man looked to him. "Beckett. It has nothing to do with knowing the difference between right or wrong, it just has to do with power, control, _dominance_. That's why we do what we do, Beck. Someone like me, someone like you, we don't change our mind, we're not capable of it. You see, I am the lowest of the low. I knew what I was doing was wrong, but I didn't care. When she said no, I couldn't _stand_ it."

Beck stifled himself, feeling the anger and rage coming from this man. From himself. He knew that anger, because it _was_ the irritation he felt whenever Jade said 'no' to him. Whenever he didn't get his way, what he wanted. "N-No…"

"Yes, I've heard that word many times. I'm sure you have too, Beck. I tricked her, Beck, made her trust me. That's the worst kind of _scum_ you can be." Beck started whimpering as the man set his five fingertips on his chest and dug in with his nails. "I'm a sick fucking bastard, and I hardly cared. No, I didn't, because _I_ had the power, and _I_ had the control. You see, when you get to my position you can't change. You Beck, there may be an_ ember_ of hope for you…"

"P-Please…"

"Do you know how pathetic you sound right now? Oh yes, I believe I'm quoting myself now." Beck looked up to the man to see his face begin to transform. He now looked like a slightly older version of himself with a long scar over his left eye. He trembled underneath Ross, staring up at his own face. "When they put me in jail, I _smiled_, Beckett. You see our kind doesn't feel remorse. You may think you feel remorse now, but if you don't change your ways, or if you let these nightmares destroy your soul…well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut you apart."

"No! I-I can change! Honest I can!"

"You know, when I saw that officer turn his back to me in prison-when that fellow inmate came to kill me-I laughed." Beck clenched his eyes shut and wept. "I laughed because I knew I made an impression. You may not realize it, but what people like you and I end up doing…it sticks with people. It sticks with the person you attack, it sticks with their family and loved one for _years and years_. They never forget it, even when they're old and crotchety, it will _always cause them pain, Beckett! Your temporary pleasure causes them pain!" _Suddenly a whip cracked down on him, tearing at his flesh

"No!" Beck's body arched upwards with the whip as the sound of flesh ripping echoed in his ears and the stench of blood and dead skin stung his nose.

"It won't be long before you do exactly what I did to your own girlfriend. To Jade. It won't be long."

"Never! Please! Believe me!" The whip came crashing down, this time with spikes added. Beck cried out, pleading for mercy and clenching his fists. "Please! God help me!"

"How does it feel to be vulnerable Beckett? Huh? How does it feel to be the one forced to suffer! God can't help you Beckett, you're about to be too far gone. You see, you and I? We don't change our colors. Once an addict of power and dominance, always an addict!" The whip snapped down once more, then again, and again in a particular rhythm. Beck's body trembled and he cried out with each lashing. How was this not hell? "If you somehow survive all this, I'll find a way to pull your soul into hell myself, because you're standing now not with Ross, but with Lucifer the king of all that's below." A dark shallow laugh blasted from all areas surrounding him, startling him as he watched the whip continue to transform into all kinds of weapons to crush his ribs and his bones.

Jade's nightmare wasn't as chaotic as Beck's, but she wouldn't know. She walked the lonely, desolate streets of LA, crying out for anyone that was around. Her body was covered in the bruises given by her mother. She hugged herself close and dropped to her knees. "Why? Why am I always alone? Why do I have to be stuck here? Am I…Am I in hell?"

"Not Hell, my dear, but you're about to be." Jade tensed her muscles and clenched her eyes as she heard her mother's stringent, nasally voice. "Why don't you come home, dear. I'll make you some apple pie…"

"No. I don't want to go home with you. You'll hurt me."

"Oh sweetheart, no I won't. I could never hurt my baby." Jade whimpered as her mother slowly advanced towards her, smiling at her. She was tempted to go towards her, but she knew if she made any advancement to her mother, she would die. "You're not alone, you have me."

"No! You're abusive, abrasive, and I hate you!"

"Why? You're just like mommy. You know that. You love it." Jade gasped and quickly glared at the long dark haired woman standing above her like trees.

"No! I am nothing like you!"

"Tell that to your schoolmates that you flung about for the last many years, sweetie." Jade clutched her chest and felt a sting on her hands. She looked down to see them covered in blood. Fear coursed through her body as she stared down at them, shuddering and holding back a scream. "That's the blood of everyone you ever abused, Jade dear. You're a jaded soul, which is why your name fits." The woman tapped her chin and tilted her head to the left. "Oh right, the rest of the blood should be visible, don't you think?"

"What?!" A disgustingly cold feeling swept over her as her entire body became covered with blood. Her hair was drenched to the point of looking exactly like Cat's hair. "No! Mom no!"

"Oh yes Jade. You wonder why you're alone? Why you can't have real friends unless you control them? Well that's the reason." Jade trembled as her mother placed a hand on her shoulder and walked around her. "You see dear, no one likes a beater."

"I haven't hit anyone!"

"You hit me. Don't you remember?" Jade gasped out as she watched a bright purple bruise form around her mother's eye. That had been in self defense!

"Self defense!"

"Self defense? Yes, that's what you say to anyone you lash out against. Just like me, sweetheart. It's our word of choice. A bipolar woman, a borderline woman, we have no sense of…acknowledgement. See we're not in the wrong, Jade. They are. Every last one of them…" Her mom started to point into the distance and Jade followed her gesture. Her heart screeched to a halt when she saw several shadows, all distorted figures of people she'd seen at her school and elsewhere. "The ones you don't recognize are the ones you will wound in the future."

"No!"

"Yes. They're all out to get you, Jade. They weren't before, but now they've been so hurt by you that they want to rip your soul to pieces. You want friends?"

"Y-Yes."

"You want to be loved?"

"Yes…"

"Then you should show people a little more concern, right? Instead of hiding behind a wall and using it to justify your every abuse?"

"You're one to talk."

"I can't change, I'm older and set in my ways Jade. You? You're young yet. Maybe you can change, maybe you can survive the hell you're in…if you survive…I think you should consider a change of course? You know you can always ask someone to help. You're eighteen now, you can leave your mother behind if you must. There will be plenty of time to think on it though, as you run from your demons."

"Run?"

"Yes…" The woman looked to the shadows, and to Jade's dismay, they began charging her like a pack of rabid wolves. "Run!" Jade screamed as adrenaline surged through her body. She turned and charged the opposite direction, with tears welling up in her eyes.

"Robbie? Robbie Shapiro where are you?" Robbie whimpered as he hid behind a large stone fixture. "Your brother wants to play." He slowly looked beyond the statue to see a boy walking down the streets. This boy had a blue cap on his head, stood at about twelve years of age, and looked innocent enough. Only he wasn't, he was a demon, a long dead demon.

"Go away, Rex!" The boy turned his head towards Robbie and flashed a toothy grin as his eyes grew wild. Rex had been a real person once, his own brother. He drowned several years ago in the lake outside their house , so Robbie got the puppet and started to pretend it was his brother. "I'm sorry…"

"Oh my dearest brother. Looks like you're the older one now, aren't you? Or have I aged too, in the form of that absurd puppet you decide to worship." Rex spread his arms out and started to chuckle as long burning blades lashed out from his hands. "I'm not done with you."

"Why are you doing this!"

"Why? Why?! Because of that damned puppet!" Rex threw one of the swords at him. Robbie scrambled to the right and screamed as the hot blade sliced through his left shoulder. "How could you do this to me? How!"

"I don't understand what I did wrong!"

"I'm not a puppet Robbie. I am your brother! I was your older brother and you tarnished my memory by turning me into a puppet!" It was true. Robbie sincerely believed that puppet was his brother. After all these years, his mind snapped and his parents had been forced to put him in a home. "There's no help for you. Sure that girl out there is trying to save all of you, but you know what? Even if she does, you have to survive hell first."

"W-W-What?"

"Oh yeah, did I neglect to mention that I was trying to kill you? I thought the burning swords were an obvious sign!" Robbie screamed as his brother vanished into a puddle and appeared before him in a watery pillar. "Even if you all manage to survive the hells you're stuck in, you still have to work on changing afterwards. I don't think it's possible for any of you." Rex's arm transformed into water and gushed into Robbie's mouth and down his throat, drowning him. "I myself? Yeah I'm angry with you…seems pretty obvious doesn't it? I don't want my soul, my memory to be bound to that stupid puppet of yours. I want to be remembered as your brother, not your puppet!"

Robbie tore through his brother's watery limb and grabbed his throat, coughing violently. "T-The others. You said they're going through hell too?"

"You sound surprised, but yes. They all have their own personal hell. Right now Andre's been tied down by his grandmother, who is hitting him with a frying pan over and over, cussing him out. The bruiser is getting bruised. Rather viciously I might add. Cat? Well, somehow the girl's lucked out…"

"Nothing better happen to her!"

"I don't think you're in a position to be making demands here, Robert." Robbie gasped out as his brother pushed him against the ground and covered his mouth with his hands. He let out a muffled cry as Rex's hands transformed once more into water. "You have to be pretty messed up to say your brother is a puppet, but I tell you this, I'm going to mess you up a lot more! Welcome to hell!"

* * *

Beck, Jade, Robbie, Andre, and even Cat all have a particular hell they're going through. Thought I'd show you three, you won't see the hell again, but these hells could very well change them


	10. Making Contact From Armadillo

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 10 (Making Contact)

Trina arrived in Armadillo with Nigel and John, she grinned at the old style buildings that littered the town, though was startled by all the stares she was receiving. It confused her, since she thought they'd be staring more at John, but then, he likely had to willingly make himself visible to all of them first. "Can they see you, Mr. Marston?" Nigel asked in a whisper quiet tone.

"No. It takes a lot of energy to make myself visible to one person for an extended period of time, it takes more energy to make myself visible to a whole clan of people." John pointed to Trina's outfit and she narrowed her eyes. "They're likely staring at the fact that she's wearing something so…different…"

"Well that's easy to explain!" Trina crossed her arms and huffed angrily at her grandfather. She was sick of being put down for wearing normal clothing, there was nothing to do about it! "Time has moved on, women have become a lot different. Though I think the feminist movement ruined things for some of us girls, but never mind that." Nigel blinked and stared suspiciously at her.

"Feminist movement?" She slouched her shoulders and Nigel laughed with a chipper tone. "Maybe it's not as easy as you think it is Miss Vega. You said it was Vega, right? Not Marston?"

"That's right. Granddad Jack had a daughter who married Hank Ernesto Vega." Hank had been the man's chosen name. His parents crossed over into America when he was just a baby and they had to change their names when they became citizens. "Ernesto was actually my grandfather's name, but there was this whole issue regarding having to change their names and everything once they became citizens. Nothing major."

"I see." Nigel lifted his hand to his mouth and cleared his throat into it as the people of Armadillo gathered around. In the back of the crowd stood a man with a Marshall's badge. He had a full grey beard and a vanilla cowboy hat. Perhaps this was Marshall Johnson. "People of Armadillo! I bring you, our savior! A Marston!"

"A Marston you say?" One man called out. "Like John Marston? What makes her a savior if she's related to that man? She's just a woman."

"And why isn't she in proper dress!" Screamed a woman to the left. Trina closed her eyes and started to growl. "She's got her hair down, too!"

"What a scandal!" Cried someone else. John covered his slow growing snicker as Trina bowed her head and began growling with more intensity. Her ginger tapped aggressively on her arm. "Has this woman gone mad!"

"She must have, it's hard to believe John Marston would raise such a rebellious child!"

Nigel winced and glanced over apologetically at Trina as she started to roll her head back. She whispered so only he and John could hear, but her tone was full of anger. "I'm starting to question how much I really want to save these people. I really, really am." She listened as the questions continued. More and more people were still in utter shock that Nigel had found someone so "out there", but the line that was the straw to the camel's back was someone asking if she was a woman who turned into a prostitute.

"Enough!" Trina declared. She hopped up on the top of the wagon and shook a fist at the people. "I'm not like you nutcases because I'm not from here! Not from 1914, I'm from bloody 2013! I am _not_ a fucking prostitute, I am a normal, average, every day girl who is trying to save my father! Save my sister! Save her bloody friends, and furthermore, save your sorry and ungrateful asses from living this hell you've been in for over a century!" The crowd stifled while Marshall Johnson smirked with delight. "Your land has been cursed by a gang of freaks! Time has moved on outside of New Austin, West Elizabeth and that place in Mexico! Women have more rights, and can wear whatever they damn well please!"

"What a mouth on her," she heard one woman mutter to another. Trina growled as Nigel and John exchanged worried glances. "And she speaks such obscenities. Women have rights to wear what they want? It's almost scandalous…"

"Oh for the love of-" Trina smacked her forehead and slid her hand down her face. "Nigel. Gramps. These people are hopeless. They don't need my help. Turn the wagon around, I want to leave." Nigel started to protest, but she turned her rage filled glare onto him. "Turn away from these ungrateful people now, please!"

"All right, enough is enough!" The Marshall declared. John smirked as Trina glanced back at the man pushing his way through the crowd like Moses parting the Red Sea. "Is that any way to treat a descendent of John Marston?" The man was looking directly at John. Trina was stunned and watched in silence as John waved at the Marshall. "Tell me John, are you going to let these people see you?"

"I don't rightly think they deserve to see me," John remarked. Trina heard the crowd gasp, it was as though they heard John speak. "They're treating my great-granddaughter with such disrespect. And to think, I helped this town back in its heyday, got rid of the Williamsons's gang and other gangs that were attacking the land. You would think my descendent would be welcome here, Marshall."

"Well descendent or not, she is indeed welcome. I have to say, she reminds me of you, Mr. Marston. She's inherited your mouth."

"And my sarcasm, Marshall. I have to say, I'm proud of her." Marshall put his hands to his hips and laughed.

"God it's great to see you." Marshall tipped his hat to Trina and she slowly sat back down, grateful for this man's respect. "Ignore these folks, they've been so long here they've forgotten their manners. I had to come back and shape them up, Jonah was letting them get too out of hand. You say it's 2013 now? So we've been stuck here for nearly a century, have we?"

"Yes."

"Do you know anything of my wife? She went out of state to visit our grandchildren up north before this curse. Never came back." Trina frowned and jumped off the wagon. The crowd murmured about their relatives as well, some had full families still in the region while others were separated, whether visitor or resident.

"Marshall Johnson, I'm afraid I don't, sir. It's technically 2013 for you guys too. If she was outside, if _any_ of your families were outside New Austin, West Elizabeth and Mexico, then they've aged properly…" The Marshall bowed his head and the residents began to tear up. He let out a small groan and lifted his head back up, gazing at the sky above.

"It's just as well, I suppose. I wouldn't wish this curse on my worst enemies, and I have a lot of enemies that are stuck here. Sherriff buildings are stocked with trapped outlaws. At the very least, my wife has passed on with some semblance of peace. I hope."

"I suppose I could try and find out…" Trina looked to John with intrigue. "I'm not sure if I can get a signal out here, Grandpa Marston. On my ce-phone…my phone…" She had to remember these people were still in the past, they didn't know what cell phones were since they were still using rotary.

"I don't know what good phones will do you, miss." She looked back to the Marshall with a frown. "When the curse hit this land, I couldn't use our old rotary to call long distance anymore. If I had, I would have contacted my wife and grandkids. Let them know what was going on. Letters weren't much good either, the mail serviceman was always coming back saying he couldn't deliver."

"It's worth a shot," John said, "You may be able to make it work with that phone of yours. Satellites and whatnot, but I don't know what good it will do."

"Because." Trina pulled out her cell phone, which everyone in the town stared at with shock and awe. She cringed, having forgotten why she didn't bother to say 'cell'. "If I can offer someone any semblance of peace…at all…I can probably comfort them."

"Well even if you could call anyone, Trina, how on earth would you find out their number? What would you tell them?"

"I…don't know…" She lowered her phone down and sighed. "There's this woman, she came to LA once and spoke with my friend Lindsay. I was there when this woman started talking about ghosts, and I've been talking back and forth with her, trying to figure out this whole thing. That's why I didn't freak out as much as I could have when I saw you…because she planted that seed of doubt that maybe they did exist."

"Who was this?"

"A woman named Melinda Gordon. She's uh…some weird kind of medium that can see and communicate with ghosts."

"These people aren't ghosts, Trina."

"They are to their families! If I could make contact with their families in any way…I suppose that doesn't matter. Melinda's smart, she would be able to find out the information on families. She'd be able to find Marshall Johnson's grandchildren, or great grandchildren, for that matter. She could refer me to them."

"You honestly think that phone is going to work, Trina?"

"It's worth a shot."

"With all due respect ma'am," Johnson started, "I was born in 1861. My children were born in the 1880s. My grandchildren, the early 1900s. I don't believe their grandchildren will think anything of me."

"They might, but regardless, wouldn't you feel comfortable knowing that your wife was able to be at peace?"

"I suppose so. I think you best explain all this modern stuff to us though, before this town starts freaking out." He pointed to a couple people who were already passed out on the ground. Trina rolled her eyes and struck her contact's list.

"Hold on…" She hit Melinda's number and put the phone to her ear. She didn't hear a ring at first, so she started to walk around. "Come on…come on…" John swayed his head from side to side and Nigel watched with growing intrigue. "Ring please, ring. I want some contact with the outside world here, come on…" John started snapping his fingers as she walked around the wagon. Suddenly she heard a loud ring and practically cried out in joy.

"You got something?" John asked with a bright grin.

"Yes!" Melinda's voice came over the phone and Trina spoke with excitement, hoping to get everything out in case he phone cut off. "Miss Gordon, it's me Trina. Look, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I need you to look up a woman named-"

"Ethel Johnson, wife of U.S. Marshall Leigh Johnson." She looked to the Marshall and nodded her head. "She was born in 1864 and a resident of New Austin for a few decades."

"Ethel Johnson, married to U.S. Marshal Leigh Johnson, born in 1864 and lived in New Austin for many years."

"Are you sure?" Melinda asked. "What's going on? New Austin…I've heard talk of that area, some people have died waiting for their loved ones to come from that town. There actually are a lot of spirits still waiting for their loved ones to cross over. What is it about that area?"

"New Austin, West Elizabeth, and Nuevo Paraíso have all been cursed land for almost a century. Those inside have been trapped, unable to move forward in time, ageless but still living their lives like nothing happened. They've tried but all attempts failed at escape. There are six ghosts that have this land cursed, and I have to put them all out in order to free these people. I think they'll cross over then."

"Okay. I see…and you're there now? How do you have service?"

She eyed her smiling ancestor suspiciously and raised an eyebrow. "Not sure, but I have a feeling my grandpa has something to do with it."

"Grandfather?"

"Great-great-great grandfather. John Marston. Yeah, that's right, I believe in ghosts."

"Of course…well I'll look this family up. What are you planning on?"

"I want to know how they're doing, well Marshall Johnson does. Maybe also how his wife held up."

"Okay, I'll search for you."

"Thank you." Trina hung up and slipped her phone into her pocket. Now she only hoped it would ring when Melinda called back. "Okay it's time to explain the future. How can I explain it? In one word: Different." The others stared at her and muttered 'clearly', to which she glared at them. "Yes, women are allowed to wear whatever they damn well please. I'm also a black belt in martial arts, so I highly suggest, if you don't want me kicking your asses multiple times, _you shut up about my outfit!"_ Marshall Johnson laughed as the crowd recoiled. She dusted off her shoulder and flared her nostrils out. "Jeez, and I have to save you people? Ungrateful."

"That's the unfortunate way of life," John remarked, "Most people aren't grateful to have their lives-or souls in this case-freed."

"Hmph, clearly." She crossed her arms and stared at the women wearing dresses. "I don't care what anyone says, I am _never_ putting one of those gaudy dresses on my body. Jeans are more secure, period."

"Secure?" The women asked.

Trina roared out and slammed her foot on the ground, causing the women to shrink back. "Yes secure! Dresses allow men to put their hands up under you, jeans don't! They protect you! Deal with it! The only dress I'll wear is a nightgown, and that's at home. So kindly quit commenting on my outfit and I'll be nice to you."

"Sorry…"

"Anyway. What I just used-" She whipped the phone out and everyone marveled over it. "Is nothing special." They groaned and she formed a subtle smirk. "This is a cell phone, invented in the 1990s. Granted the 1990s they were a little bigger than this. In the 2000s, these phones can do anything from accessing the internet to sending messages instantly to someone else. It's one of the many, many things invented in the future. What I just asked Melinda to do will require something called a computer, she'll have to look up records for Marshall Johnson's family. Computers were invented in the late 1970s and have grown ever since. Also the feminist movement came around sometime in the 70s and 80s, I think it ruined things because it made women believe chivalry was beneath them, so a man can't be chivalrous without being accused of being oppressive. I, personally, like a man that will be chivalrous even today."

"I can understand all that," Marshall Johnson replied. The women nodded their heads while the men mumbled to themselves. Trina ignored this and continued on with her explanation.

"So, with that being said…Bill Williamson, Javier Escuella, their leader Dutch, along with Captain De Santa, Colonel Allende, and the lead agent Edgar Ross are back as ghosts. They're the ones responsible for this curse you're all suffering, and I'm the one who has to free you by finding their graves and burning their bones."

"Is it that simple?"

"For those six? Not really. Burning their bones will force them to come to me, after that…"

John clicked his gun and winked at the Marshall, "Then I get to shoot 'em and send them back to hell. Or oblivion, wherever the hell this gun sends them to. They'll be permanently dead."

Trina rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Exactly. In taking out these six pillars, everyone in New Austin, Nuevo Paraíso, and West Elizabeth will be freed. I'm no savior, I'm just doing a job. The people in my town, Los Angeles, are trapped as well thanks to those ghosts. Only, they're all in comatose states, dreaming. I have to wake them. Also, my father, David was a powerful lawman back in the city…that's how the ghosts found him. They have him now, they want to kill all the Marston's that remain. I need to save my father."

"Well all right," Marshall Johnson smiled at her and gave her a respectful nod. "I'll try and help you in any way. There's a man that may know where Bill's grave is, John knows of him I believe. Seth Briars."

"Yes, we're actually looking for him."

"Well, I think he's down at that old cabin near the border, Mr. Marston knows where it's at. Just south of Thieves Landing, I believe."

John tipped his hat, "I do know where it's at." Trina's phone began ringing and everyone let out startled gasps. Trina answered and grinned at Melinda's voice.

"Trina, I have a man on conference call right now. He says he is one of Leigh Johnson's grandchildren. The youngest, born around 1912." Trina lifted her head back and looked to Marshall Johnson with a proud smile.

"Sir, you had a grandson born around 1912, didn't you?" Marshall Johnson's eyes sparkled with delight and he quickly nodded his head.

"Yes! That would be William, Mary's youngest! I saw him once as a baby when Mary brought him down to see us. She had to go back up north and my wife left to see her a year later. They said he was sick…I was…I wasn't able to see him. He-He's alive?"

"Apparently. Here, another thing with this phone is it has capability of being put on speaker. That means that you and anyone else nearby can hear the person on the other end without holding it up to your ear."

"Serious?"

"Yeah."

"A lot better than these old rotaries, huh?"

"More than you know." She clicked the phone on speaker and Marshall moved over, trembling as he tenderly took her phone into his hands.

"H-Hello? W-William?"

"I don't believe it," A man's voice came over with an aged and wavering tone. "How…How are you still alive? I don't understand. You must be…Grandma said she lost all communication. New Austin vanished. Disappeared along with everyone in it. This woman called my house…the grandchildren are out right now, so it's just me. I can't say they would have believed it when this woman said you were trapped…"

"I am. William, there's a woman here that's going to save us. Send us home. Our souls, we're all trapped in this cursed land. William, I-I don't know if you remember, you were just a baby last I saw you. You were sick, they said you were dying. I was unable to come see you, Ethel had to go up by herself."

"Oh god that was so long I can barely remember. I believe it was pneumonia that I had, but I pulled through. A miracle really. It was always said I survived for Grandma's sake. When you disappeared, Grandma was distraught." Trina watched the old man's face, tears were running down his cheeks and mixing in with his beard. "Medicine is greater than it was back then, it's allowed people to live to be one hundred or more. Did you know the oldest person to ever live was a woman in France that made it to 122? I tell you no one has ever made it that far since, but that is impressive. What's more impressive is people are living past 110 years old these days. I don't think I'll make it that far, but I'm glad that I made it so long…it's strange hearing your voice, almost like a dream."

"God…" Marshall Johnson covered his eyes, holding back his sobs. The rest of the residents all gazed on tearfully as this strong man began weeping as a young schoolgirl.

"Grandma's waiting for you grandpa. I know she is, so is my mother and all my uncles and aunts. They've all gone on ahead and are waiting for you. Cross over whenever you can."

"I want to. I want to so much. I wish-I wish I had been able to leave with Ethel. I wouldn't be cursed with this land."

"Well if that woman does what she says she will, then you'll be free. Now don't you worry. I've had children, grandchildren, and even a great grandchild on the way. Everyone's happy, at peace, and doing well. Although, little Jimmy's coming home from soccer practice soon and I'll have to be going. My kids will want me to take my medicine."

"I wish I could keep talking."

"So do I, grandpa. Don't worry though, I know we'll see each other again soon. I believe it…"

"So do I, son." William's phone clicked and Melinda returned to let Trina know it would be all right to search for anyone else she was concerned about. Marshall Johnson clenched his eyes and turned away to take a deep breath. Trina stepped up behind him and put her hand to his shoulder, causing him to look back at her. "Promise me, these ghosts…when you put them down, you won't let them down easy. What they've done to me, what they've done to everyone here…"

"Don't worry Marshall, we'll get them. We'll get these outlaws, and we'll tear them apart. You won't have much longer to wait."

"Then, neither will Ethel."

"Exactly." Trina looked back to Nigel, "We're going to stay the night. Then first thing in the morning, we're tracking down Seth so maybe we can find these damn graves. I want to send these people home as soon as possible."

* * *

So now the people there know there is a chance to be rescued. It's a good thing. Also Melinda Gordon, I'm sure if you've seen Ghost Whisperer you recognize.


	11. History Lesson

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 11 (History Lesson)

Trina sat up in the bed, waking to a dark room and a cold sweat. She was still in the room in the Saloon that John said he stayed in back in the day. The dream she had consisted of her father being held up in the sky, in pain, calling out for help. Terrified, she was unable to reach him, no matter how close she came to him.

She rubbed her face and looked towards her closed door, there was a light underneath and the distant sound of people chattering downstairs. Figuring she wasn't going to be getting sleep anytime soon, she got up from her bed and pulled her clothes back on.

As she opened the door, the tremendous energy in the saloon astonished her. She walked towards the railing and leaned over it, smiling down at the people below who had been celebrating all night over the fact that a 'savior' had arrived. While she didn't feel like a savior, and she certainly didn't want that weight on her shoulders, she was happy to see these people as lively as John once mentioned them to be. "I'm just doing the right thing," she whispered, "Or I hope I am."

Still she had to go to Sepulcro and burn every last body in the cemetery to save her sister's friends. It was a struggle within her to do so, since she knew how much they were tainting her sister. Of course the answer to the struggle was obvious, she could whine and moan all she wanted, but in the end it would always be the right thing that she would do. Save them. She could endure the bashing, the name calling, the ignorance. It mattered not how good or bad these people were, they still deserved a chance to live.

Judging by the map of the region, she had a ways to travel to Sepulcro, maybe half a day on horseback, but she could do it. The question remained that she didn't know which to do first, try and kill the ghosts and save her father's life and the people of this land, or save Tori's friends. She knew she couldn't do both at the same time. Her father didn't have long, and neither did Tori's friends. "It's a good thing de Santa is buried in Sepulcro then…" She could at least work with both in that case, but if there were graves, such as Bill's, closer than Sepulcro, she would _have_ to hit them first.

Her eyes drifted to an empty poker table and instantly she imagined Tori and her friends sitting around the table. "Curious…" Why was no one playing? Intrigued, she made her way down the steps, sliding her fingers along the railing. "Hey!" The patrons cheering at the bar looked over with wide smiles. "How come no one's playing poker? I thought this was a big card game in the old west!"

"It was," replied a scrawny man with shaggy red hair. "But when you've played it every day for one hundred years, it gets old fast. Poker and Blackjack, those are the card games we play around these here parts. Unfortunately no one plays as much as they used to."

"Aw come on. Don't tell me those two are the only card games you know! I don't know about betting since I'm not so sure America's currency is going to match your currency."

"Judging by the prices Miss Marston-er, it's Vega actually, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Confusing, I know, just remember that John had a granddaughter, so obviously Grandma Emily married a man named Vega."

"Right. Anyway, judging by the rising prices, I'd say you're also wealthier than any of us. Has the currency really changed in all these years?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. That would be something my boyfriend would know, he was the history buff. I'm a law enforcement major." The men in the saloon were startled at the term of 'major', and she heard one comment if someone let women in the army. She laughed and made her way over to the bar, leaning up against it. "Well actually women _are_ in the military, some as early as world war-wait a sec…" She bowed her head and ran her fingers along her forehead. "These are times I wish Sinjin were here, he'd be able to explain all the history stuff in a way that's going to make sense to you."

"It's okay, we understand ma'am, times have changed. We're all going to have to accept that."

"Right. Now what I'm talking about is colleges. In 2013, there are many colleges and universities out there and you have a degree of study whether it's legal, medicine, law enforcement, history. First, there's the Associate's Degree which comes in two to four years of college, then the Bachelor's Degree, then Major's and finally a Doctorate. Doctorate is the highest you can get. All of these degree plans and universities really didn't come into place, I _think_ until President Roosevelt-hold on! There were two Presidents named Roosevelt, I don't want to lose you…"

"Yes, we know Theodore Roosevelt, he was president a couple years back. Now I think is a guy-Wilson, Woodrow Wilson. He's probably not president anymore."

"No, not any longer. There was a cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and he started issuing all these programs to help the economy, because the economy went bust in the 30s somewhere-I hope I'm making my boyfriend proud explaining all this-and somewhere he started the whole education programs. However I think I could be way off on that…"

"All-righty…" The man scratched his head and looked to the other patrons. "I think I got all that."

"They may have start letting women in college in your lifetimes, actually. I'm not sure about that."

"Actually that's right," The bartender announced as he washed the bar down with a rag. "Women were attending college as early as 1870, as far as I can remember. Tell me, do you have the right to vote yet?"

"_That_ I know the answer to! I didn't care so much to pay attention to government in class, actually. College I made like a B minus." She chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her head. "Barely. Um, Woodrow Wilson granted women the right to vote somewhere around 1918, I believe. It was an issue for quite a bit of his presidency." She thought on that for a moment and winced. "No that's wrong, the 19th amendment gave the women the right to vote, that was passed in 1920."

One of the men chuckled at the thought and lifted his mug, "Must have been when the women got the idea they could wear jeans." She narrowed her eyes as the other patrons gasped. This man was an elderly man with white hair and a white moustache. She smirked as she watched him drink his beer with a smug grin.

"Herbert, don't piss her off," the red haired man said. Her eyebrows rose and her lip curved up into a wide grin.

"So you're Herbert Moon!" Herbert lifted his head and waved as she put her hands to her hips. "Granddad John told me about you, or well, Nigel started that discussion. You're the racist, bigoted pig of a store owner that can't keep his trap shut."

"Hey watch who you're talking to lady, I'm Herbert _Moon_, and I'll be damned if any woman, jew, free slave, catholic, socialist pig is going to get smart with me!" Trina raised an eyebrow and bowed her head, chuckling darkly as Herbert took another sip of his drink.

"All right Herbert, I see where you're at. It would normally be my pleasure to put a man like you in his place, but I actually know self control." She took a step forward, still glaring at him. "See sir, I don't rightly trust men. My boyfriend is one of the few men I trust, for good reason too. If there weren't a few women down here, I probably wouldn't be talking to any of you. I don't have to save you. I'm doing it because it's the right thing to do. God knows I'd be more than willing to walk right out, but no, I actually care about people. Why I care about the likes of you, I don't know. I'm going to have to save some people that I consider worse, and I tell you, there are not that many worse than what I hear said of you."

Herbert looked up at her with a crease over his forehead and a frown. "I-I-Don't go getting all big-headed thinking you're a savior. You're still just a woman." Her anger sparked like wildfire within her and she wanted to smack this man around so much that it was taking every bit of strength for her not to do so.

"Herbert, I would understand if you had good reason to not trust any. I have reasons why I do not trust men, reasons being that there may have been men in my life that hurt me in one way or another. You? From what I've heard you have no reason to distrust anyone that you blame for every disaster."

"Well I-"

"Go ahead. Have you ever met any of these people?

"Can't say I have-can't say I care to."

"I see. One day you're going to meet one, you're not going to take them seriously, and you're going to get in trouble for it."

"Yeah whatever. I may be arrogant, but I am no fool. I think women should know their place, however." She closed her eyes, grunting as her anger began spiraling. Herbert lifted a closed hand into the air and smirked. "A man should be dominant, a woman is to be controlled, submissive." Her eyes shot open and fire burned within as an image of Ross flashed in her head.

"_Excuse_ me?"

"That's right. I take my stand, the white _male _is superior. Women are good for one thing and one thing only." The bartender was quick to tell Herbert to shut his mouth, even the other patrons were beginning to see the rage building up inside of her. Her body trembled and her hands fidgeted.

"No man will _ever_ force me to be submissive you cocky little shit!" Trina charged for him, but in that instant John appeared and ordered the Bartender to lock her in place. She struggled to break free as the man locked his arms around her elbows. "No!" With a loud scream she sharply kicked the man in the soft part of his foot, causing him to release her.

"Shit!" John cried. "That was poor judgment. Moon, get the hell out of here!" Before he had a chance to act, she had Herbert with his arm behind his back and body pressed up against the wall. She grabbed his hair and pulled his head back, glaring at him.

"You don't like it do you? Being restrained? Well guess what! Neither do I, or any woman, man, or child! You think you can force a woman to submit? Well screw you!"

"Trina! Calm down! He didn't mean it like that! He's just an arrogant old man, nothing else. He doesn't know, he didn't _know_ what you've gone through." She glanced to the side, breathing heavily while listening to Herbert's whimpering. She could feel him shivering beneath her.

Realizing that she'd lost all control, she released him and stepped back, ashamed of herself. She looked around and moved her hand to her forehead, cringing as her stomach twisted. "God…I'm sorry…" She tore herself away and left the saloon to sit on the steps outside, listening as John cussed out Herbert.

She buried her face into her hands and screamed into them, trying desperately to settle her trembling body and her bitter tears. All the memories of Ross, she'd pushed away years ago. How could they flare up just on one arrogant man's comment, and how could she lose control over it? "I can't…I can't do this…There is no way I can do this."

"Trina?" John stepped beside her and knelt down on one knee. He hung an elbow over his knee and she looked up at him.

"I'm sorry granddad, I-I didn't mean to lose control. I just…" A sob left her lips and the tears tore down her face with greater intensity. "Why did you make the bartender restrain me? I don't-I-"

"That was a mistake, I wasn't thinking. I was just trying to keep you from beating the shit out of Herbert, even though he deserved it." John pulled his hat from his head and smiled kindly at her, comforting her and helping her tremors to die down. The nauseating memories in her head were slowly dying, but she feared they wouldn't go away anytime soon. "Trina it wasn't your fault. Herbert, he's just a stuffy old man who probably has a harder time keeping up with the times than the other folks in there. I mean hell, before this land was cursed he was just as ratty as he is now, and the others clearly are accepting that times changed."

"It's not that…it's what he said, it just…it triggered something and-"

"I know. Again, that wasn't your fault."

She grew angry and raised her voice without meaning, "I lost control, grandpa! I shouldn't have! I haven't in a long time, that's the thing! Okay?" She took a deep breath and slowly shook her head. "I'm sorry…for yelling…Look, the thing is, I've heard people make those crude jokes about the topic, and when it gets to be more than I can deal with, I leave the room. I can deal with reading about it, I can deal with talking in brief about the issue, and I rarely ever lose control like that. Why then did I lose control in there! Why?!" She bowed her head and wrapped her arms around her knees while staring at the ground. "I want Sinjin, I want my daddy, but everyone I know is dying now. I'm all alone, the first damn ghost I see was that _man_. Now all of a sudden any statement is setting me off."

"It's okay, you'll be all right. I know it's difficult, and god willing, I don't know exactly what you're going through, but I know you're strong and you will get through this. You're not alone in this, Trina."

"I know…" She swept her thumb over her cheeks and looked up to the stars, taking a deep breath. "Before…when I woke up…I was dreaming about my dad. He was stuck in the air somewhere, screaming out for help, and I was riding to him as fast as I could. The more I rode, the farther away he seemed. His screams became more agonized, more painful…I'm afraid, granddad…I'm afraid I'll be too late You know, originally I went downstairs to try and play a card game with them. I didn't mean for all this to happen."

"I know. I'd offer to give you a hug, but being a ghost…"

"It's okay…" She started to smile, though it was a weak and tiny smile. "I um, I appreciate the thought. I'm glad you're here." She pushed herself up and looked back to the Saloon. "Look. I want to go ahead and ride, I don't think I can stand to be in there. I feel sick to my stomach right now. I'm angry and hurt. I want to apologize for kicking the bartender, I know he was just trying to help. Herbert too, he…doesn't know what I've gone through, so he really didn't deserve me to go off like that."

"Ah for old Herbert, it's nothing a good old night or two in Marshall Johnson's jail cell won't fix." She chuckled softly and slowly made her way back into the Saloon. She could see Herbert at the bar, nursing his arm and staring up at her with terror in his eyes. The bartender gave her a tiny smile and waved.

"You all right miss?" Trina nodded and looked over to Herbert.

"Herbert, I'm sorry." Herbert started to open his mouth, but the women in the room shushed him. She closed her eyes and inhaled carefully. "You didn't know what effect your words would have on me, and I shouldn't have gone off on you like that. It wasn't fair…I…I am sorry."

The red haired man brandished his hand and grinned at her, "Aw don't worry about it Miss Vega. Herbert's always getting knocked around by people he pisses off. He's used to it." Trina rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Maybe so, but this is about me. I shouldn't have lost control like that. I'm ashamed for it and…yeah." She looked over to the bartender and turned up a wry smile. "And you sir, I'm sorry for kicking you. When my mind gets like that, I sometimes-well point is I'm sorry. You were just trying to help. I don't like to be touched when I get like that, much less a man doing it. It happened once before, a guy named Beck restrained me, and I nearly lost all control. Of course, then I had my dad to call for help…"

"Sounds like you had someone," the Bartender pointed to John. Trina smiled and slowly nodded her head. "Think nothing of it, believe me I've had worse done to me in the last century. Will you be staying in your room tonight? We'll treat you kindly."

"No. It's not any of your faults really, I just-I can't wait around knowing my dad's still out there. I have to find Seth Briars, I have to get these ghosts out of here. I know I was hoping to show you a few card games, but I can't. There's no sense in betting since I know our currency will be different, and there's no time to waste. My dad, he needs me. More like I need him as I always have, but he needs me more than ever now. My sister too, and her friends…though her friends are the most hateful people I've ever met in my life, no offense Herbert-" Herbert scoffed and looked away as the patrons smiled at her. "I can't wait around knowing they're in danger. Their very souls are being destroyed as we speak…by ghosts living in some cemetery in Mexico."

"You're going to save people who have wronged you?"

"It's the right thing to do. Again, I'm sorry for the trouble. If I have time the next time I'm in Armadillo, I'll stop and teach you some new card games. I play a mean game of Gin Rummy. In fact, my boyfriend says that's the one game nobody should play against me in." She chuckled softly and crossed her arms. "I'm not a big poker girl, though."

"Aw come on, play some poker. You don't have to place any bets or anything, just play some and relax."

"I appreciate the offer, but I have people to save. Not to mention, everyone cursed in these lands."

"That's just the thing, Miss Vega." She raised an eyebrow and felt her heart being pulled towards the kindness of these people. She started to smile as the man motioned towards the table. "When you get rid of this curse, we'll all be gone. If you're as good as you say at Gin Rummy, we'll let you teach us a trick or two, and we'll even teach you some tips at poker so you can go home and beat anyone." Trina chuckled at the fantasy of winning card games against Tori and her friends.

"Well my sister plays poker with her friends almost every night. They don't usually invite me to play or anything, so it is tempting…"

"I'm guessing we're all going to be able to die once the curse is broken. We'd love to see how well you play. We'll send Herbert over to the Marshall for the night, even, if we can convince you to stay a while."

Tenaciously she took a chair, smiling as she eyed the table. "Maybe a hand or two…can the girls here play too?"

"Of course we can," one woman said with glee, "We've watched and played enough hands to know we have the game down just fine."

"Okay then. Well…Gin requires partners, so everyone's going to need partners. Now they sit across the table. Since I'm pretty sure my grandpa can't pick up the cards, I'm going to need one of you girls as my partner. After that, I'd love to see what you guys know about poker. Then, I'll need to be leaving town to find that Seth Briars."

"Okay ma'am, glad to have you here for a game!"

"Sure. I guess so." She shook herself once and exhaled as someone set a deck of cards down on the center of the table. At least this would be something for her to focus on, but she was not going to let it distract her too much from the task at hand. Too many people were counting on her.

* * *

Here Trina learns to play a good game of poker, bear this in mind because she'll probably play the game again on down the road XD. Yeah I'm posting multiple since I'm trying to get this particular story done before the wilderness trip coming up.


	12. A Crazy Man's Hope, Restored

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 12 (A Crazy Man's Hope, Restored)

She spent long enough playing cards and left the saloon feeling proud, the many tips they told her about poker and other card games left her with some amazing ideas for playing _and_ swindling at card games with Tori and her friends. Granted, that was if she could convince her dad to let Tori stay in the country and not ship her off to England with their mother.

It was still late at night, and while she _was_ tired, she wasn't going to let herself waste any time. She could go a few more hours without sleep if she had to. "You're not going to fall asleep on the horse are you?" John appeared beside her and folded his arms as she gazed up to the stars.

"No, I'll be too busy looking at the sky probably. It's amazing, really, without so many lights the sky is beautiful. You don't get to see all this living in a big city like LA. I mean wow, I'd hate to see this area modernized."

"It's inevitable, unfortunately. With as fast as the world is changing, this land will start to be modernized the second the curse is broken and people start to discover it." She shrugged off the depressing thought and looked over to see Shadow walking up to the saloon. "It will be a few hours before reaching where Seth is. I went ahead and transported myself over there, he's definitely there."

"See anything useful while you were there?"

"Not entirely, though I was shocked to see Seth fishing out in the lake. He wasn't doing any crazy dancing, no laughing, just sitting there…staring at the sea…I almost wonder how long he's been there."

"He _is_ alive, right?"

"Of course. He's just, well, normal. It's kind of scary, he was the last person I expected to succumb to this nightmare." Trina hopped up onto Shadow and sat up straight, broadening her shoulders and puffing her chest out proudly as Shadow stomped one hoof on the ground. "I could be wrong though, he may be just fine. I mean boredom is half expected when it comes to Seth not being around the dead."

"Technically speaking he is around the dead, but we'll see if he won't liven up when we get there. I mean look what your presence did to the people in this town. They're all happy and full of hope again."

"You think I did that, Trina? You're the one that did that."

"How so."

"You're the one who contacted Marshall Johnson's last living grandchild. You're the one that showed them someone knew what was going on and was willing to do something about it and free them from this hell. It was all you, I'm just here. Hell, only the Marshall saw me, no one else did until tonight at the Saloon."

"I guess, but if it wasn't for you, I wouldn't even be in this region right now." She shuddered to think of where she'd be now if not for him. It was likely she'd very well be dead, along with her dad and sister. He saved her life and now the people in this region had a fighting chance. "You gave them something, Granddad, and that's a fighting chance. You're as much their _'savior'_ as I apparently am."

"If you say so my dear. If you say so."

"That I do." She reached down and pat Shadow on the neck. The majestic horse lifted his head as a twinkle sparked in her eye. "All right boy. Let's ride!" The horse whinnied and bolted off. Trina leaned into the run, laughing wildly as the wind rushed through her hair and beat against her face.

Dirt and sand trailed behind her as she listened to the rhythmic sound of Shadow's hooves on the dusty road. The moon was high in the sky and wolves howled in the distance. She pumped a fist in the air and nearly fell back, so she quickly grabbed the reins once more and laughed. "I still think this is the most fun I've had in ages!"

John put his hands on his hips and chuckled as he shook his head. "Put that girl on a horse and she thinks it's finer than sliced bread. Yeah, she's my granddaughter all right…"

Seth's cabin was beside a creek with a dock over the San Luis River. There was a boat in the middle of the river with a skinny turkey-faced man and a beat up old cowboy hat. The man was holding a fishing pole and, as John said, was staring off into space.

Shadow moved slowly towards the river and John appeared beside Trina. As they moved onto the dock, they heard Seth speak. He had a hoarse tone and spoke as quietly as possible without bothering to glance at the two. "You know, John Marston. I used to say I hated the living, and I avoided them like the plague. Now I have no choice, but I can say I hate the dead. I hate them."

Trina was startled and John's jaw fell open. Seth slowly turned his head. His mouth sagged down into a frown and his eyes were glazed over. "You can see me, Seth? I haven't even made myself apparent to you."

"Of course I see you. It's that damned glass eye I found. Lets me see ghosts every now and then. I hate them, John. They tell me lies, funny…funny lies." Trina looked down to John, then back to Seth. Seth stood in his boat and stretched his arms up into the sky. "They tell me it was you who caused this curse on our land, they say it was you who caused us to truly feel isolated from the world. I don't believe them though, because you wouldn't do that to us, John." Seth cracked his back, then hopped onto the deck, glaring directly at John. "But I can't help thinking you had something to do with it. But you wouldn't-would you now John Marston? No-no, you wouldn't do that to us!"

"No Seth, it was not me." John folded his arms as Seth closed his eyes. "It was that Edgar Ross fellow. He cursed this land along with the other outlaws who are out for revenge. I know how to free this place of the curse. You just have to trust me."

"Oh I trust you, but I don't know what you plan to do." Seth looked to Trina and raised his eyebrows. "And who is this?"

"My great-great-great granddaughter, Trina Vega. She's going to do what I cannot physically do. She's going to burn the bones of the ghosts that hold this land cursed." Trina waved and Seth cracked a smile.

"We were hoping maybe you knew where to find some of them. Anyway, I thought you enjoyed digging through graves and stuff? Granddad John said you were like that."

"Maybe once, but that was before they all decayed and turned to bone." Seth waved his hand through the air and shook his head. "I don't care about anything anymore. _Nothing! _You ask your grandpappy, I lost my wife and kids looking for treasure, lost everything in life! For a glass eye! Now there's no chance of me ever returnin' to them."

"I'm sorry Seth…"

John took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "Seth. I think you should know…" He opened his eyes and looked up to Trina. "Trina I took some liberties as you know and had Marshall Johnson learn to use that phone of yours, got him to call Melinda. I found some info about Seth's family." Seth froze and Trina chuckled softly.

"Figures…she ever find anything?"

"Yes."

Seth inched forward, eyeing John suspiciously. "You know what has become of my family? My wife and kids? Are they_ alive_, John?"

"Kind of hard to be," Trina replied. Seth groaned and turned his back to them. "I'm sure they lived long and pleasant lives though. It was 1914 when this land was cursed, frozen in time, but people aged outside. It's 2013 now, almost a hundred years have taken place."

"So I've been alive one hundred years? Great, I'm 143 years old now!" He cackled wildly and cupped his hand over his forehead. "My wife? My children?"

"They weren't trapped," John said, "In fact Seth...Your nine year old son had a daughter who had three babies. One went on to have twins, the other had a son, and the other became a high school teacher…" John glanced to Trina and smirked. "With an affinity for coconuts."

"What?" Trina's hand flew to her chest and she let out a violent cough. Seth was _Sikowitz's_ great-grandpa? At the same time, she wasn't sure if Sikowitz was safe or not, considering he was in LA. "Your daughter went on to have many children of your own. Your family is plentiful, Seth. Be happy for them. They've gone on to do great things." Seth leaned back and chuckled under his breath.

"I'm…I'm amazed to hear that. I am happy that they're okay, they're alive. It's sad they made do without me and I'll never know what they were like, but…but it's okay."

"I know what your great-grandson is like," Trina smiled and Seth glanced up at her with wide and anxious eyes. "He teaches my sister's class. Or taught, before she graduated. My boyfriend is also his teacher assistant. He's a great, _brilliant_ man, a remarkable educator. He's wise beyond his years. A _little_ crazy, but that tends to be a good thing." Seth started to laugh as a single tear came to his eye.

"A little, huh?"

"Just like his grandpappy."

"Amazing. Simply amazing."

"There's something more," John bowed his head and shrugged his shoulders. "All of LA is in a comatose state, their lives are all in danger. You will be happy to know that I checked, and, Erwin Sikowitz is currently enjoying a pleasant vacation on a cruise ship outside the Hawaiian Islands." Trina's heart jumped up and Seth brightened. "Erwin, and his entire family are all outside of LA right now. They are safe, no matter what comes our way."

"I don't think I've ever been more excited to hear that!" Seth declared. "I've always searched for that treasure because I wanted to give them the good life. Give my wife and kids the good life and protection. It's good to know…that they have it."

"It is truly a relief to hear," Trina was more than relieved, she would have hated to know that Seth's family would be in the danger area as well. "So Seth, does this mean you will help us? Marshall Johnson says you may have an idea where Bill Williamson's grave is."

"That I do know. Knowing my family's safe is truly a weight off my shoulders. I will be more than happy to point you in the right direction."

"Thank you! We will have you freed soon, Seth. I promise."

"Right. You see, Bill wasn't buried in a normal plot in one of the cemeteries. He was buried outside Fort Mercer in Rio Bravo." She was surprised that he wasn't buried in a typical town cemetery.

"He wasn't born in a cemetery? What for?"

"That goes along with something else I've discovered." John and Trina exchanged confused looks as Seth folded his arms. "There are six territories each of these ghosts watch over. Bear in mind that of Mexico, New Austin and West Elizabeth, three ghosts share a large region. There are two spirits share New Austin, two that share West Elizabeth and two that share Mexico. I'm not sure who is what, but if you take the two out, then all the territories in that region will be freed. Gaptooth Ridge and Rio Bravo, for some reason, count as one shared territory. Cholla Springs is another territory. Hennington's Stead and West Elizabeth are another territory. That's three territories already. Nuevo Paraíso has three territories in it. Punta Orgullo, Perdido, and Diez Corona. There apparently is one ghost per region. I'm not sure if the regions mean that particular ghost takes up half of an area or not, I think it is, but I don't know. If we were to assume Bill took up the Gaptooth and Rio Bravo territory, it's possible he makes up half of New Austin, but it may not be. You'd have to ask."

"Like we'd get a straight answer. It's worth a shot." She couldn't believe how complicated this sounded, but it didn't matter, she'd find a way. Trina smiled at him and gave him a subtle nod. "If you could mark Bill on the map, I'd appreciate it. That way we can hurry and free everyone in these regions."

"Oh yes! Give me your map and I'll pinpoint the location." Trina handed him the map and he quickly took it from her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She watched with pride and a full heart as he scribbled the location down on a map. "I'll get to see my family one day, yes I will, be it heaven, I will."

"You think so, huh?"

Seth rolled up the map and handed it back to her, grinning from ear to ear. John chuckled at the sight and Trina nodded. "You've restored a little bit of my faith. If burning their bones is what it takes to set my lingering soul and body free, then so be it! I'm ready and willing."

"Your wife and your children will definitely be happy to see you when you join them up there in the skies. It will be worth the wait, I know it will."

"Thank you…"

"No problem." She clutched the map and looked towards John with a subtle smirk. He matched her smirk and wagged his eyebrows knowingly. Perhaps he had been right, perhaps it was her that was filling these people with hope, or faith, or whatever it was they had. She didn't know, all she cared about was that she was able to put a smile on their faces.

Just like playing cards with the people at the Saloon, it was a pleasure to see them smiling and laughing as though they weren't cursed. Never before had she seen men and women happy to know that death was coming, but when it came to this particular curse, it sure wasn't a surprise. Seeing their hope, their faith restored, seemed to restore a bit of humanity itself for her. She didn't know why, but it was truly a good feeling to save these souls.

Their hell, would soon be over. It wasn't going to be easy, not now that they knew each ghost was like a key to opening a particular part of the land. Yet, there was no time to give up. Failure was no option.

* * *

Seth Briars, you could look him up, he's quite the personality in RDR


	13. Tori's Second Reality Check

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 13 (Tori's Second Reality Check)

Tori awoke with a sore back and a bloated feeling in her stomach, with a moan she found herself in a strange room. "Not this again…I thought it was a dream. Just a bad dream." When she looked up to the door she saw her mother walking in. The woman seemed a bit older and had shorter hair that was up in a bun. Her lips were thin and her eyes faded. "Tori dear, I'm done with work so you should probably go pay the Nanny before she leaves."

"Nanny?"

"Yes, the woman that's been watching your kids for you. Besides, I thought you were at work too…when did you get back? Or were you skipping again?" She had a job? Immediately she looked around the bedroom for signs that she had any kind of normal life. There were photos of kids she didn't recognize, yet a strong feeling told her she was familiar with them.

Her voice lowered to a startled whisper and she quickly looked at the door, "If I have kids why do I still live with my mother…and why do I live with-unless that last part was real. Oh god!" She flung her covers off her body and started for the door, stopping when she felt a particular heaviness to her. As she gazed down at her belly, she began to scream. "I'm pregnant?!"

"Almost eight to nine months along. Are you feeling all right dear?" Holly put her hand to Tori's forehead and shook her head. "You're not running a fever. Dear, go on the nanny is waiting."

"Right." As she made her way out into the living room, she saw three children sitting around someone dressed up like Mary Poppins. This woman had the same features as the woman she saw before. _"Abigail? Impossible…"_ She studied the children with a small whine, there were two girls and one boy. All had brown hair and brown eyes, though the boy was darker skinned than his sisters. The oldest child looked to be about thirteen years old, and that was one of the girls, who was apparently Andre's child. The next child was six, then the second girl was five. They all looked up to her with wide happy eyes.

"Momma! You're awake!" The children ran up to her and hugged her legs. Abigail turned to Tori with a light smile as she slowly reached down to hug her children. She was trying not to make this seem as awkward as it felt, but how could she feel for children she didn't know.

"I'm wondering if I'm still dreaming."

"Dreaming?" Abigail chuckled as she walked over to her. "If you think saying you think you're dreaming is going to get you out of paying me for my services, I'm sorry about that. You haven't paid me my last few checks, but I understand that with your husband and all."

"Husband?'

"Why yes, the father of your children." Abigail put her hands to her hips and watched as the children ran off to Holly's room. "He spent some time in prison, didn't he? Andre. Spent about five years in prison for either accessory or accomplice. He's been in and out for domestic violence all these years, I think Holly said." Tori put her hand to her cheekbone and looked away with a startled gasp. All of a sudden she felt a tremendous sorrow inside of her. Holly walked out of the room, nodding at Abigail.

"That's correct. He keeps getting my daughter pregnant, strikes her and I keep getting him put in prison. I'm hoping he stays this time." Holly shook her head and closed her eyes. "I can't help but think, David would never have let this go on."

"Oh please." Tori rolled her eyes and turned to her mother, angry and irritable. "You always told Dad to ignore the bad things that happen because it's likely they won't happen again. Regardless…Andre? Violent? Also, are we still in London?"

"Of course we are sweetie, are you sure you're okay?"

"Then how did Andre get over here? This _must_ be a dream."

"You wrote to him all throughout his prison years, remember? I seem to remember your letters to him tore your father apart." Tori staggered to the right and clutched her chest. "When Andre was let out and you asked him to come here, your father cut all ties with us, remember?"

"No I don't. I don't think I would have done that at all! Andre was responsible for putting Trina in that coma, wasn't he?"

"Andre and Beck," Abigail reminded her of the age old crime. "Beck's idea."

"Oh god, and now I'm-hold on, Andre's hit me?"

"Okay that's it!" Holly grabbed the nearby phone, "I'm calling the doctor. You must have hit your head or something."

"No! I'm fine, I just…I guess I've been blacking things out." She scrunched her face and moved over to the nearby window. She gazed out at the street with a solemn expression. What year was it now? She knew she was apparently pregnant in the last 'dream', unless this was all reality, and her oldest was thirteen. "It's 2026, I presume?"

"Yes…"

"Nanny-I'm afraid I may have hit my head, I've completely forgotten your name."

"Abby."

"Abby? Of course it is…" She bowed her head and started to chuckle. She couldn't stand this incredible pain and sorrow she was feeling inside. Memories were coming back to her now. Andre was always controlling and dominating, abusive to her and her children. She moved in with her mother after the cops carted him away just four months ago. He'd been wanted for robbery as well, so he'd be spending some time in prison again.

All of the children were his, shockingly enough, she could never get away from him. She never went to college or finished because of her first pregnancy, and now she was stuck working as a call girl. Try as she might, she couldn't figure out what Trina or her dad were doing now, or any of the other friends. From the last occurrence, she knew Jade passed away and Cat had been separating herself from them.

She moved her hands to her forehead and moaned as another, more recent memory came to mind. "Shit I'm being questioned by the child protection agency aren't I?" What hurt the most was she too was aggressive and neglectful, more neglectful towards her children than aggressive. Either way, she was just like her mother. The last time Andre struck her was because she was sleeping around as well. Rather, the child she was bearing this time was not his, but one of the clients she saw.

"Yes ma'am."

"God Trina and Dad would _hate_ me for the life I'm living!"

"I've never known you to care," Holly remarked. Tori breathed in sharply and spun around as the anger within her sparked out. How could her mother say she didn't care? How was that even _fair?!_

"You think I wouldn't care? Why-" Then it hit her, she didn't care. The memories that were coming to mind said Trina and David were not a part of her life anymore. She never communicated with them and David himself stopped talking to them years ago. Trina, she didn't understand. It was as though she had a terrible bout of amnesia.

There was an address in her head, she was certain she could go see them and find out what was going on. "I want to see Trina. I have to see my sister. I _have_ to." Holly frowned at her while Abigail closed her eyes and looked away. "No, I know where they live. I know the address! 28 Oak Drive in LA, they're still in LA!"

"Tori-" Tori ignored her mother and ran out the door, screaming that she needed to see her sister. She had to know why they weren't talking, and what she'd done wrong. No, she knew what she did wrong, she neglected her sister. She took things too far and told Beck and Andre that Trina knew about their dangerous lifestyles, and they put her in that coma. It's been years though, Trina should be doing fine, granted angry.

She got into her car and drove out to the airport, she was surprised that she actually knew where it was. She was in a frenzy, and no one could break her determination. "I need the nearest ticket to California, USA!" She screamed out at the flight attendant. "I have to see my sister. She's the only thing I care about right now, you don't understand! I need this, I need to reunite with her! My friends-I-I hurt her a long time ago." She couldn't possibly blame Beck or Andre for what they did, but she also hated them for it. She didn't want to believe they could have beat her sister up, but she had to move on. She had to talk to Trina, to know what happened and to let her know that she did love her.

"Okay, okay, just let me ring the price up. The next flight out is in about two hours…"

"Thank you!"

It took her some time on the plane, she couldn't text Trina or her father, since their numbers were no longer working numbers. She did try the landline, but the phone had been disconnected, as though nobody lived there anymore. She thought to ask the flight attendant about phone books, but chances were slim they had any.

When she landed in LA, she passed over the police station and thought to drop in for old time's sake. There was a cop nearby that smiled when she walked in. "Can I help you, miss?"

"No sir, I just wanted to come in. When I was a little girl, my sister and I used to play in here all the time while waiting for daddy."

"That's sweet. I think."

"Yes." There was a wall of honor to her right, and her father's picture was at the top. He had grayish hair and a moustache that he must have grown over time. In the picture frame was information stating that he had been LA's Police Chief around 2015. His full years of service ranged from 1984 to 2018. "Daddy. Always making us proud." She chuckled softly as the police officer raised an eyebrow at her. "I wish I'd shown him a little more love, same with my sister, but that's okay. I'm going to see them again." She turned to the police officer in her rush of excitement, "Do you know where Oak Drive is?"

"Um yes. You go down this street about a mile until you see Sherman, turn right onto Sherman and drive. You'll come up onto Oak, you'll want to turn left."

"Thank you!"

As she drove, she thought about the wall of pictures she'd seen of all the officers in uniform. At the top had been the words 'Thank you for your service.' Some of the officers didn't look old enough to have retired, which she found strange.

There was an unsettling feeling rising up and strangling her with incredible growing force. The closer she came to Oak Drive, the less she was able to breathe. When she turned onto Oak, she couldn't see any houses whatsoever, just pearly white gates in the distance.

As she neared the gates, there was a sign over them in an arch that made her stop. In an instance, her entire world collapsed.

_Eagle Grove Cemetery-Honoring LA's Finest and their families._

"N-No…No…No!" She let out a violent shriek and bolted from her car in a wild rage. Tears poured down her cheeks as she ran for the gate, grabbing it and slamming her fist on them. Inside she could see rows of tombstones, all shaped as typical round tombstones with an eagle perched on them. Her heart slammed violently in her chest as she pounded the brick wall next to the gate. "No! I'm at the wrong address, I know it! Please-No you're lying! You're lying! Goddamn you!"

She heard a police chirp and looked back, her cheeks now streaked with burning tears. A police car parked beside her rental car, and a woman stepped out. Once again it was Abigail, only in full police uniform. "Miss, do you need help?"

"Oh cut it out already. You expect to believe I don't recognize you? What the hell is this?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a police officer…"

"Come _on!"_

"Sergeant Jenny Davis at your service. Can I help?" Tori groaned and turned to the gates. She put her forehead to the brick foundation and slowly shook her head.

"I-I was looking for my father and sister, thought I knew their address, but it led me to this cemetery." Her body trembled and she sniffled to keep her nose from running. "David and Trina Vega."

"Oh those two? No, you're in the right place, unfortunately." Tori leaned her head back and glared up at the sky, groaning. "I'll take you them…come with me…"

The graves were near the center of the cemetery, Trina and David had been buried in plots beside one another.

_David Vega June 19, 1960-November 10, 2018_

_ Trina Vega April 20, 1993-November 10, 2014_

"Four years apart…why? Why is Trina dead? I don't understand. What happened to the others? Beck, Andre-I know what happened to him-Robbie, Cat? Why is Trina…"

"Trina Vega never woke from her coma, I believe." Abigail folded her hands at her waist and tucked her thumbs into her belt. Tori covered her mouth and clenched her eyes. "Her health was failing and while Chief Vega wanted to keep his daughter alive, his wife and daughter insisted the plug be pulled."

"W-What? Why would I even consider that?!" She put her hand to her chest and spun around. "That's where I know you're lying!"

"I'm afraid not. It was more a mercy decision than anything else, your mother was more adamant about it than you, sure. In the end, Trina's life support had to be cut."

"Didn't Dad have the power of attorney? I thought-"

"The doctors assured him that there was no chance in her waking up again. He may die before she would ever come out of the coma. Pulling the plug sent him into a spiral of depression. Eventually he was granted the position he'd wanted all his life, Police Chief, but it meant nothing to him. He reigned for four years before handing in his resignation on November 1, 2018. November 10th, he set fire to the old family house and died in the fire. All he worked for, all his memories, everything he cherished went down in flames." Tori's knees buckled and she fell before her father's and sister's graves, weeping as her hands closed around the grass and dirt. "Rather symbolic, I'd say."

"How can you say that?!"

"Beck Oliver is still in prison, serving time for murder. Andre Harris had been granted parole after a few years, then moved to London, didn't he? Robert Shapiro moved to Las Vegas about eight years ago, and Cat Valentine is still rooming with Samantha Puckett.

"I-I'm surprised my father didn't kill him. Beck."

"You were a proponent of Beck's and Andre's innocence. You thought it was someone else that did that to your sister, couldn't fathom your friends did it and thought your father had arrested them out of paranoia." Tori held her stomach and groaned.

"I can't believe this. I wouldn't-" Was it so hard to believe that she would have? No, she couldn't think that she would _ever_ do something like that! If Beck put her sister in the hospital, she would hate him for it. She would hate Andre for it! "I won't believe it. You can't make me believe it. Never!"

"I'm only stating the facts, ma'am. Your sister died in a coma brought on by two of your friends. Your father died through his depression…As unfortunate as it may be and as hard as it may be to fathom, that's the way it was written. I'll leave you to mourn."

She watched as the officer walked away, then turned angrily to the graves. How could this have happened?

A sudden rush of pain stabbed her in the stomach and she let out a loud cry as she grabbed herself. She was going into labor! "Wait O-Officer come back! Help! I think-" Another jolt of pain shot through her, causing her to fall back on the ground, weeping as she screamed out in vain to the open skies. Was there anyone to hear her? Why was she alone? She looked towards the tombstone of her sister, weeping as the baby continued to punch her womb. She could hear feet surrounding her, perhaps paramedics. As they lifted her up, her vision returned once more to darkness.

* * *

Forgive me for posting multiple chapters at once. Take your time if you need to, I'm not going to post them all at once. Let me know what you thought of this chapter


	14. Ghost in the Desert

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 14 (Ghost in the Desert)

"Finally we're here!" Trina hopped off the horse and looked down at her map. She was standing beside a cliff and near a cactus that Seth marked. She had to wonder how they were going to find Bill's grave, but her intuition implied him to be near this cactus. She grabbed a shovel that she tied to Shadow's saddle and looked around at the land.

The sun was beating down on her and sweat was pouring along her clothes. She wiped her brow with the back of her hand and gazed up, squinting into the sun. "Why is it so damn hot? I know it's the middle of summer, but Jesus." John appeared beside her with a subtle smirk as he leaned his elbow against the cactus. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hah-hah, very funny. Yeah I know you're showing off, Gramps."

"Yep, it's times like these I'm glad to be dead." John looked up to the sun and held his hand above his eyes. "The blistering heat may be due to Bill figuring out something's up. Ghosts may not be omnipotent, but they're also not stupid." John swept his thumb across his nose and let out a slight scoff. "No matter how dumb they were when they were alive."

"You're saying Bill was pretty dumb?"

"As shit." She cackled and John flashed a toothy smile. "Anyhow, this cactus is right on the border of Gaptooth Ridge and Rio Bravo. So with that being said, I reckon this is as good a place as any to start digging. I'm also thinking on what Seth said about the territories, Bill could very well be responsible for this section of the land."

"I was thinking that too, but even if he is, we know we're not freeing New Austin by dispatching him. There's at least one other holding New Austin down."

"Yeah…and even I'm not sure which one that is, or even if Bill is truly one of the ghosts attached to New Austin. He could have Nuevo Paraíso for all I know."

"Or West Elizabeth. I know Jack was always saying that was Edgar's domain."

"Yeah, a little bit. Most of his stuff was up in West Elizabeth." John crossed his arms and looked down to the cracked dirt near the cactus. "I know Jack shot him up something fierce back then, old Edgar. He became fish food, bleeding in the lake his body floated off into."

Trina winced at the visual and gazed down at the ground. She bounced the shovel on her shoulder and chuckled nervously. "I know I seem like I wouldn't mind getting down and dirty, but honestly…the hot sand, hot sun, and sweat is not something I feel comfortable with. Sweat I can handle, I practice my martial arts daily, but digging around all day? Not going to be fun."

"I hear you."

"Said the dead guy that can't even hold a shovel." John laughed as Trina slammed the blade of the shovel into the ground. She took a deep breath and brought her foot down onto it, pushing the shovel down further. The ground was hard and difficult to break, so much so that it gave her doubts about whether Bill was buried here. She had to remind herself that after one hundred years, the soil was likely to harden over. "Dead. Never thought I'd be hunting the dead."

"Well if it at all makes you feel better, the dead is hunting you too."

"Nope. _Can't _say that makes me feel better." She felt like Seth, or at least, the way Seth was in all of Jack's tales. "I hope to god he was just buried in a burlap sack or something. It would make burning his bones a lot easier."

"Sure. I doubt it, but sure."

In her pack, which was hanging from Shadow's saddle, she had a few containers of something called 'holy oil' which was to be poured over the bones. She then would have to throw a match or two down into the grave, and the flames should ignite. "Wooden caskets probably aren't so bad, all I have to do is break them open with the shovel. A lot nicer than the _lovely_ modern caskets we have today."

"I imagine so. Now if we could get past the whole 'I'm about to kill Dracula' feeling." Trina rolled her eyes and swung some of the dirt to John. He smirked as the dirt flew through his head. "Really now, Trina? I thought we were past the ghost thing already."

"Doesn't mean I can't still throw dirt at you." She smirked back at him and John laughed for a minute.

"Of course, but regardless, dig away."

The longer she dug, the hotter the sun became. The sweating was so bad now that it was almost as if someone were pouring hot water over her body at a constant rate. She knew they didn't really have much of a plan for what to do one Bill's ghost showed up. Burning the bones would leave him tied to this particular spot, so it wasn't like he would escape.

If it didn't work out, John had given her a pair of fingerless gloves that were quite pleasant for her. They were black leather and had a strange blue symbol on them, John said it would allow her to actually make contact with these ghosts if they grew violent and she had to fight them for whatever reason.

Eventually they found the wooden casket with a metal latch on the side. She used the shovel to break the latch and open the casket up. A foul odor rose up and triggered her gag reflex. She made a retching sound and took a step back, pointing at the grave. "Damn it why does he smell?!"

"Possible last second shield."

"Great. I can't say I'm not going to enjoy burning this pile of dog food." She grabbed the holy oil and pair of gloves from the pack. After slipping on the gloves, she drenched the bones with the oil and pulled out her matchbook. "All right Williamson, get your ass over here. You're first…"

John readied his gun as she snapped the match and threw it into the grave. She threw her arms over her face as fire exploded on contact with the oil. After a few seconds, it was as if they were at a campfire. "Well they're definitely burning. Now where is Williamson?"

"Careful what you wish for," responded a low growling voice. She turned around as thunder clapped in the skies and dark clouds began to roll in. Bill Williamson sat high on a horse with a blue saddle and a wet mane. There was almost a blue tint to this creature, and its hooves were engulfed in a blue flame. Perhaps this was a representation of water, but she didn't see how that tied into anything they were doing.

Bill had a long scruffy beard and a cowboy hat with one half of the brim standing up. In his hand was a rifle and in his mouth was a cigar. "Burning my bones, bitch? What are you trying to prove by trapping me to this spot?" She chuckled under her breath and shook her head.

"Granddad Jack always said you were the dumbest one." Bill raised an eyebrow as she uncrossed her arms and straightened her back. "First, I want you to tell me where my father is, then I want you to release everyone." Bill guffawed and smacked his leg a couple times.

"Oh I see, you're insane! You'd have to talk to Edgar about that one. See, I'm not in charge here, he is."

"Fine, then I'll find him and I'll make him release everyone. Actually, I know how to dispatch you freaks." Bill shot her a skeptical look and he cocked his rifle.

"Don't think that because I'm a ghost that you that I cannot kill you. I can smell Marston blood in you, and we're after that. We just need to take down the last two, you and your sister. Unfortunately, John's bitch of a wife is keeping us from touching your sister's soul. What do you got?"

She grabbed her wrist and held up a closed fist in front of Bill, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "I got a fist that will go in your face if you keep calling me or my sister a bitch. I don't think you want to go there."

"What can you do?"

"These gloves let me tear you to shreds. I can send you right back to hell. Though, I'm debating something. You see, I don't know if I want to waste my time and energy on you. No doubt you're the easiest target. I'm going to give you a chance to tell me where the other graves are, then I'm sending you back to hell. Or oblivion, I don't think you want that. I'm calling that particular gun _Oblivion_, because it sends you ghostly freaks to a place worse than hell."

"Oblivion? Tell me about it."

"I don't know much about it. I know it's said that it is a dark place where spirits wander alone for all eternity without sight. They can still smell, but it's the foulest odor. They can still hear, but they only hear the sound of screeching or some noise that would make the ears bleed profusely. Taste? You have a constant hunger and can only taste something that is said to be more than anything we can imagine. I think it's said the taste stays on your tonue forever. You will have no one to see, no contact with _anything_. Yeah…it's that bad."

"As if I could care."

"You should." Trina cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head to the right. "I'm guessing I won't be getting the location of the next grave out of you?"

"Hell no. I may be dumb, but I'm not going to sell my own ghost brothers out!"

"Even if it means getting sent into Oblivion?"

"I don't see this gun you're talking about."

"Get to the point."

"You'd kill me anyway."

"Sure…but these gloves would send you to hell." She spread her hands out and wiggled her fingers. "I'm not holding the gun in my hand right now. Besides, I can't hold it. Doesn't mean I won't send you there." Bill laughed violently and narrowed his eyes.

"You're hilarious. I thought pulling that ex of yours from hell would do the job, but I guess I'll have to kill you myself." She took a pause and turned her deadly glare up to him as he pointed the rifle to her.

"Oh. So _you're_ the one that brought that monster here?"

"Yes, it was me, the others didn't think it best."

"Ah…so you are as much an idiot as I thought. Well, you should know, he's in Oblivion. You will never see him though." She stepped to the right, revealing John standing behind her with the Oblivion gun in his hand. Bill's eyes widened as John smirked and pointed the gun to him.

"Hello Bill. I always knew you were the dumb one." John pulled the trigger and Bill's body jerked as a hole of black fire appeared in the right side of his chest. He stammered as he moved his hand over the wound. "Goodbye now."

"Y-You bastards. They'll find you! They'll find you and they'll kill you!"

Trina turned away and began walking towards her horse, she huffed and brandished her hand in the air as Bill and his horse started to fade away. "They can try." She knew the others wouldn't be as easy as him, so they would have to be careful. She was relieved that one ghost was dispatched, but that didn't make a difference when considering the fact that there were still five more remaining. "This is going to be a hell of a ride…"

She looked up as a rush of wind blew past them. The wind brought forth a strange sensation, one that seemed to bring a state of calmness to the land. Trina smiled as John looked at her with curiosity. "What? Why are you smiling?"

"You can't feel it, can you? That wind…Strange as it sounds, it feels like the desert is thanking us."

"Maybe it was. If Bill was buried here on the border, maybe the desert is calm again. Not free yet, but halfway there I'm sure."

"Right. I feel really good about this."

* * *

One ghost down, five and a cemetery to go. Tell me your thoughts about this chapter


	15. Ghost Town Cleansed

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 15 (A Ghost Town Cleansed)

"So we're up a creek without a paddle now, aren't we?" Trina rode on into the quiet ghost town known as Tumbleweed. Jack had much to say about the legend of this once thriving boom town. He said it was long since abandoned, but that ghosts still haunted the land. "This haunted land, I bet Melinda would have a blast."

"If she enjoys seeing ghosts everywhere, sure." John's face went sour as he stared at the Tumbleweed cemetery. "You can't see them, but I sure as hell can. This town really is as haunted as they said it was." Why couldn't she see the ghosts? She could see John well enough, and she saw Bill. Hell, even Seth saw John before he was able to make himself visible to the man.

"How come I can't see them? I saw Bill just fine."

"A ghost has to want to make themselves visible to you. As far as Bill, you burned his bones and forced him to be visible to you."

"Talk to these ghosts, maybe they'll know where some of the other ghosts are. Bill didn't tell us anything worthwhile, so we have no idea where to start."

"That's how it was for me back in the day. I didn't know where any of them were. Granted it was easier because Bill had a gang that knew where they ran off to and I just so happened upon de Santa and Allende." John raised an eyebrow at the cemetery and whistled. Trina was curious to what he was seeing, but at the same time, she didn't want to know. "Anyway, we know where de Santa is, or are you putting it off because you know you also have to burn Sepulcro to save them?"

"No it's not that, it's just…" It was partly that, but mostly she didn't want to go down to Mexico until they cleared the ghosts in charge where she was now. "I want to clear the ghosts up here first. I see what you're saying though, we shouldn't wait too long. Plus, it isn't as though De Santa wouldn't know where to find the other ghosts' graves." She bowed her head and scrunched her face. "Do you think you could pop in and see what the nightmares are that they're dealing with? How bad?"

"They're not nightmares per se. They've got skewed versions of Hell itself."

"Really?"

"Hell is…different for everyone. Tends to always be a pit of fire, but for some it could be a desolate eternal ocean where they're always drowning. I know all Tori's friends, except for one of them, are running. If they're running that's good, they stand a stronger chance of survival."

"And the one that's not running?"

"I…" John closed his eyes and tipped his hat down over his eyes. Trina eyed him with suspicion and a heavy feeling in her chest. "I can't get in his head to find out. It's like he's locked up tight, as if the devil himself is there…"

"The devil himself, how do you know?"

"Because like God, the Devil is one of those secretive guys that you're almost never going to get to see unless he's taken a special liking to it. He can turn into anyone, someone you met in passing to someone you've known all your life, and if he appears in your nightmares…he'll lock the door tight so no one gets in."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying the only way to get him out of there is to kill the spirits summoning him there, the ghosts of Sepulcro. Right now the person that's stuck there stands a slim chance of survival."

"So you're saying we might lose this guy? Regardless?"

"It's a possibility." She groaned and anger started to choke her. What was she supposed to do now? "Not to mention the wounds they receive while inside their own personal hell, they may retain when they wake up. Your sister isn't going through a hell, but she is going through a series of reality checks right now, she'll be okay when she wakes up but she'll remember everything. They all will."

"Maybe I should start heading to Sepulcro then."

"Don't you want to know who it is I'm talking about?"

"Does it matter?" It did matter to her, but at the same time, she didn't care which person it was. John said 'he', so it could be Beck, Andre or Robbie. She wasn't going to leave any of them in the dust. No matter how much she didn't trust or like them, they didn't deserve to rot away to these nightmares, to these hells. "Will they wake once we burn Sepulcro? If not, will their hells stop?"

"Probably. They will still be asleep with no guide, so they won't wake until all six ghosts are gone. The hell should cease when Sepulcro's ghosts are gone."

"Thank god it's not all the cemeteries. Or that I hope it isn't, anyway." Now the question remained, would they have enough holy oil to destroy Sepulcro? It was possible, but she wasn't sure. There had to be a way to get them all at once. "What if we run out of holy oil?"

"The nuns near there will have plenty. Trust me."

"Okay. De Santa _is_ our best, if not only lead right now."

"I'll have a way of making him talk." Jack removed the lasso from his belt and smirked. "Before he died, we lassoed him up. I'll be able to hogtie him and we'll get him. Trina, you might have to get rough on him."

"Fine by me. Why am I the combat specialist here?"

"Because I'm the gunslinger and you're the martial artist."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Oh great, we're a regular _'Rush Hour'_ duo. What am I, female Jackie Chan?"

"And I'm Chris Tucker. Ka boom." Trina laughed as John clapped his hands together. They stopped in the middle of town and Trina studied the mansion in the distance. She wasn't sure what they were doing here, but had a feeling it involved cleansing the town.

"How do we cleanse this place? How do we free the spirits trapped here? They were here before the curse, they should be free to cross over."

"Call your medium friend, maybe she knows something."

"Good idea." Trina pulled out her phone and dialed Melinda. The woman answered after three rings. "Melinda! Hi! I was wondering if you could give me some advice. There are ghosts here in this empty town that were here before the curse. How would we free them?"

"Is there something holding them back?" Melinda asked. "Unfinished business? They could just be wanderers that don't realize they need to cross over. Then it's always possible they missed their opportunity to cross over. If that's the case, you'll have to give them that opportunity."

"The ghosts have been here for well over a hundred years."

"It's possible they are just wanderers at this point then, ghosts that have missed their chance to cross over. If they did have unfinished business, would you even have time to help them?"

"No there isn't anything I could do."

"Then you will just have to open the gate and get them to cross over in one sweep."

"I have Holy Oil from some nearby nunnery. There is a cross in my pack."

"Is there a church in town somewhere? A chapel?" Trina looked around for a church and spotted the building beside the cemetery.

"Yes, it's straight across from the windmill."

"There's a windmill? Even better! Have a spirit spin the windmill, be in constant prayer over the oil and the windmill. Release the oil in front of the windmill and let it be blown over the church. The link between the two will form a giant gate that will beckon the ghosts to cross over to the other side."

Trina pulled the phone away for a second and looked to the windmill on top of the hill. She looked towards John and chuckled. "Yeah that won't be complicated at all…" She put the phone back to her ear and cleared her throat. "Are you sure this will work? It will open the gate?"

"Yes, but it will also blow some particles out across the town that will further entice the spirits towards the gate. You will be able to clear that ghost town without too much effort."

"Great!"

"Call me if there is anything else you need."

"I will, thank you." She hung up the phone and looked over to John with a bright grin. He began to pale as she pointed to the windmill. "Granddad John, you're going to need to find a way to spin that windmill. I have to get on top of it and pour holy oil on it."

"Oh god."

"Yeah." She pat Shadow on the side and tapped him with her heels. "Come on Shadow, let's ride!"

Once on the hill with the windmill, she gazed down at the town. The giant fan was atop a large cliff, and if she fell, she would surely die. She'd not given much thought to whether she could die in this town, it was pretty much assumed that since she wasn't cursed, it was possible.

"Here goes nothing, Trina." She looked up the ladder and lifted her hand, grabbing the first bar tightly. "No time to be fearful of heights." She locked her jaw and thinned her lips as she began her climb. John stood at the bottom of the fan, preparing all the spiritual energy he had. The ghosts of Tumbleweed began to gather outside the church, leaving from the cemetery, the sheriff's place, the Saloon and the mansion.

A cold wind blew over her, practically knocking her off the ladder. She gripped the iron bars tight and tensed her muscles to hang on. She looked down at her belt to make sure the satchel of holy oil and the cross were still attached. Satisfied with their presence, she continued her ascent.

The ladder ended just barely at the top, so she had to reach up and strain herself to pull herself to the very top. She stood carefully and peered down at the windmill, trembling as she removed the holy oil. "Okay, just don't…look down…I am not afraid. Not afraid. Not-" She took one look at the town and yelped when she studied the distance. "Holy! Gramps! Start spinning the damn thing so I can get down from here!"

"All right!" She waited as John lifted his hands and began moving the blades. As they began to spin almost out of control, she closed her eyes and tore open the holy oil.

"Lord, our father in heaven…" She moved the cross up and wrapped the necklace portion around her neck. "Please accept the lost souls of this town into your arms…" Careful not to waste any, she poured the oil onto the fan, letting it absorb. "They know not their time or ability to cross over and leave this land they haunt. Show them the way, embrace them. They're in need of someone to guide them, please, save them."

When she opened her eyes, she could see a giant swirling vortex hanging over the town. Doors opened from the portal like two gates. With a proud smile, she watched as the spirits of the ghost town made themselves visible for her and flew into the portal. John cheered them on, laughing happily as they vanished into Heaven's gate.

She began descending the windmill, watching still as the vortex continued to swirl. It took about twenty minutes before the gates closed and the unsettling feeling of sorrow in Tumbleweed was gone.

"We did good, granddad?"

John hooked his thumbs into his pockets and slowly nodded as he gazed out over the broken buildings in town. "Yeah. Yeah we did." He turned towards her and removed his hat from his head. "What's next?"

"Sepulcro, I suppose. If we can stop the demons from ravaging Tori's friends, while at the same time dealing with de Santa, we'll be a step closer to freeing everyone."

"Sounds good to me."

* * *

Tumbleweed is a ghost town in the game, and in-game there are rumors of hauntings that take place there. In game it actually gives you a creepy feeling running around. I just _had_ to get this town in here and have it cleansed.


	16. Tori's Final Reality Check

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (Tori's Final Reality Check)

Tori Vega sat on a stone bench with tears in her eyes, she was overlooking a tombstone with a fresh mound of dirt. The funeral had been so recent that the preacher only just left. There were two women standing at the grave, a twenty year old girl and her sister, who was twenty-eight. The women couldn't see her there this time. "No skin off my back," the older sister spat on the grave and turned away. "Let's go Kimberly. We don't want to be late for your appointment. I thought we'd be late for the therapist if we came to this place."

"I know, Becky. Just, you saw how the funeral was-"

"Saw what? How we're the only ones that showed up to visit England's diseased whore at her funeral? Nobody else showed up. There's a reason people don't go to funerals for people like-"

"I know she was bad, but she was still our mother."

"She neglected us all our life, Kim. She treated us like dirt, screamed at us every second we did something wrong, struck us if our father wasn't around. She's the reason our brothers are dead!" Kim's shoulders fell. Tori wiped her eyes again and hugged herself. The second she wiped her tears, fresh ones came. "Austin killed himself after he shot Dad, and Tent died on the freeway. Mom drove them both to their death, and you know it."

"Still…" She knew these girls were angry at their mother, so filled with hatred for such a neglectful woman. This woman had become exactly like her own mother. Her death was by some STD she contracted by one of her various clients and affairs. "Maybe I was too young to think about it…"

"No you weren't, you're just blocking everything out, that's all." The girls had an abusive father that was a former convict. Austin was doing all he could to protect his family, even as depression took hold of him. Many years ago when Austin was only fourteen, he shot his father, then took his life. He was the elder son. After that, their mother went ballistic, blaming her children for both deaths.

When Trent, the youngest, learned to drive, he considered it freedom. He and his mother got into a horrible argument and stormed out of the house. The last words he heard from his mother were _"If you walk out that door, don't think about coming back, little asshole. You're no better than your father!"_ Trenton got onto the freeway and was doing close to ninety late at night when he couldn't see well enough to see the traffic jam up ahead. He crashed into the cars, many perished, including him.

After that, the girls completely disowned their mother. They didn't speak to their grandmother much, since the elderly woman was now living in a nursing home. Kimberly was attending college, she wasn't sure what she wanted to be just yet. She'd been so damaged by her mother that she was lost and confused in life.

Rebecca was a lawyer and managed to get away from the family fast enough to be safe, sadly she couldn't do anything for her siblings. She married and had one child, that child was born three years ago and never once saw her mother or grandmother.

They didn't come to this funeral on their own volition. Kimberly's therapist said she should go for closure, and Rebecca went solely because her little sister did. Rebecca's husband and daughter stayed home. The only other person there was the preacher. The woman's own mother didn't show up, but only because she had Alzheimer's and wasn't aware her daughter was deceased.

Thunder clouds rolled up overhead and Becky stared up at the sky with a mild frown. "Of course, it storms when the she-devil dies. Come on Kim, let's get the hell out of here. I'm starting to feel sick just standing next to her grave. It's like she's strangling me."

"All right…"

"Do you feel any of that 'closure' your therapist talked about?"

Kim stared down at the tombstone with misty eyes. She turned away and shook her head. "Not really, it still hurts. Everything. Why didn't she pay more attention to us? Why didn't we have a relative that cared about us? You know the stuff Mom always said growing up? She said she had a father and a sister, that they were there for her and she didn't realize it. I wonder how different she would have been if she stayed with them instead of went to London."

"It wasn't by choice, Kim. Dad got her pregnant and helped some dick kill her sister. Grandpa pretty much disowned her after that." Tori wept loudly as thunder clapped and rain began to fall. "Shit, come on…Kim, I'd rather not get wet."

"All right, all right…"

As the girls left, Tori stared at the grave through her tear filled eyes.

_Victoria Harris: March 19, 1996-July 4, 2042_

"Who died?" A voice asked. Tori lifted her head, recognizing the voice immediately. She let out a soft whimper and buried her face into her hands.

"Who do you think?!"

"I was hoping…a part of you that should never have existed in the first place, dear." Tori looked back to Abigail. She was back in her 1911 style dress and had her hair in a bun. Tori narrowed her eyes as she wiped the tears from her streak-stained cheeks. "I'm not a malicious spirit, Tori. I'm not a demon. I'm trying to guide you." Abigail walked over and sat beside her, pointing to the grave. "What do you see here?"

"Someone everyone hates. Me."

"Not so sure that's the correct observation. Try again."

Tori rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "A woman who nobody wanted to come to the funeral for. My daughters only came because they had to, not because they wanted to. I learned that I'm going to apparently cause a lot of grief in people's lives. So what the hell am I supposed to do about that? Die now?"

"No. I'm actually hoping for a different outcome." Abigail took a deep breath and moved over to the grave. She knelt down and set a flower on the mound of earth. Tori scoffed and looked away. "Everything you saw was not a dream. It was not a nightmare, and it was not the hell that your friends are going through right now. It was very real, one hundred percent reality. This, right here, is your future, Tori."

"My future? Seriously? I thought I'd have a great future! Instead I'm just a town whore living in England! My entire family's buried in America and my mother is an old bat that can't remember two plus two is four! I don't want this to be my future! Are you _kidding _me?"

"With the behavior you display towards your sister and your father. The disrespect and allowing your friends to treat your family the way they do, what future were you expecting? Forgive me for being blunt, but Tori Vega, you've been acting like a pathetic spoiled rich bitch." Tori gasped aloud and clenched her eyes shut.

"No. I-I wouldn't do the things that happened though. It's not me. I love my sister. I love my dad. I can't stand my mother. Also, Andre and I haven't…we thought about it. I mean sure I've-" She froze and her eyes dropped towards the grass.

"You've done what, exactly?" She had participated in oral intercourse once, and only once, and it was that only a couple nights ago. "Something that would surely not make your father proud."

"No. Dad and Trina wouldn't approve. I just…you think Beck and Andre would really beat up my sister?"

"Believe it or not, I had nothing to do with the turn of events that you saw in this. This is how your life will turn out if you continue on the path that you are on. You were not always like this, were you?"

"No."

"You treated your father, your sister with respect and you would never have let anyone use your family like doormats." That was true. As Abigail spoke, a vivid memory of her childhood fell over her mind. She smiled as she recalled being at the beach with her sister, laughing as the sun set. They were working on a sand castle together, they were inseparable.

"We did everything, Trina and I. We were the light in our dad's eyes. Mom, well she was just neglectful. I guess growing up, I figured Trina was dad's favorite. He loved us just the same, but it was Trina that wanted to be just like him. She was all about guns, cowboys, heroes, and saving the day. She loved all that stuff that Dad was into. Me? I loved flowers, dresses, playing with my dolls and cooking. So I thought…I always thought she got all the attention."

"As any younger sibling, you were envious. That's understandable." Tori laughed in vain and swept away another tear as her heart began to tear into pieces.

"You know, she's the greatest martial artist. When she started practicing, and I tell you she got fiercer after fifteen, I…never knew why she was so focused…" Abigail frowned and Tori looked up to the sky. "I wanted to be just as successful or more. Then…she gave me an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

"A singing spot at Hollywood Arts, I suppose?"

"Yeah. Then _I_ had the spotlight._ I_ was the star, everyone's attention was on me, and _damn it!_ It felt good!" She rose up and slammed her foot on the ground. "I wanted to be liked, and I was. I had better friends than a nerd group, you know."

"Nerd group?"

"I was a science nerd at my old school, my only friends were people who had breathing problems and eye problems." Abigail rolled her eyes and Tori groaned, throwing her hands down in frustration. "I _know_ that's bad to say! You know Courtney? Sinjin's sister?"

"Yes?"

"She was my best friend at that old school! It's true! Courtney was my best friend like Sinjin was Trina's! Well Lindsay was Trina's best friend, Sinjin's her boyfriend now, but still…" She actually missed Courtney. It was amazing to see her get into Hollywood Arts eventually, but the sad fact was, she never spoke to her because of her friends.

"There are reasons you hear people say that the popular crowd grows up with problems. Do you know the problems your friends are afflicted with?" Tori scoffed and smacked her hand to the grave.

"Apparently Beck and Andre are violent."

"Sort of. They haven't reached the breaking point yet. Beck…is pretty damn close."

"I know…I see how he treats Jade, and I know what he was trying to get her to do that other night at my house. I should have put a stop to it, but I didn't have to, she left the room and Trina came upstairs."

"And you cussed your sister out. Encouraged by and encouraging your friends. I know some people who would say a friend willing to disrespect your family is not a true friend, that they disrespect you too. They even talked back to your father, and _you_ talked back to your father. Do you realize back in my day, that was deserving of quite the lashing?"

"My dad would never beat us…He's spanked us when we were children and we acted up, but never now. Actually, Mom usually did the disciplining, and it was usually Trina getting sent to her room…after Hollywood Arts…"

"That seems to be a pretty major turning point in your life, sweetie." Abigail walked up to her and stared into her eyes. "You're turning into someone you don't want to be, I can see that. I'm trying to show you that."

"I still don't think Dad would send me to-"

Abigail snapped her fingers and the scenery changed to her father's office. She watched as her mother stormed in, demanding David to ship the girls to London with her. He outright refused to send either girl, but the argument became so heated that his boss had to walk in and see what was going on. After the reprimanding, Abigail showed her the night Trina came home and thought a burglar was in the house.

Seeing the scene outwardly, she was disgusted with herself. She was saying things that she never would have said to either Trina or her father in a million years. In reality, she _was_ acting like a stuck up princess! Afterwards, she listened to the conversation Trina had with her dad, and much to her despair, she heard her father suggesting that he was failing his daughters and thinking that Holly was right.

"No…" Tori reached out and shook her head. "No Daddy, no, Mom's not right! She's not! Don't send me away, please! I'll change. I promise I'll change! I know I did bad…I don't want to go…" She fell to her knees and started to weep once more. She felt Abigail's hand on her shoulder and buried her face into her hands. "Grandma Abby, I can't-I can't believe I would-Why!"

"Because all that attention and love you thought you weren't receiving, you were. You took it for granted, forgot it when you went to Hollywood Arts. Then you fell in with the wrong crowd. Or at least, you let them have free reign because they treated you like you were special. Andre Harris gets into physical fights with his grandmother, he's smacked her a couple times to get her to silence when she's going into her paranoid rants. Were you aware of that?"

"No!"

"Before Jade, Beck tried to get a girlfriend to have sexual intercourse with him even when she said no. She called the cops on him, he spent a night in jail. He may never have touched a woman, but he's close to it when it comes to his current girlfriend. Jade has assaulted her mother, granted in self defense perhaps, but her mom still threw her in jail. Robbie has been locked in the mental ward for telling everyone his brother never died and that he turned into a puppet. So far, your friend Cat is sounding like the normal one…These are your friends, Tori. These are the popular people that you've let have free reign over your family. Over you."

"Oh god…" She cupped a hand over her mouth and felt a wave of bile shooting up her throat, burning her.

"I must say though, you said something that struck me curious. Your father and your sister are not the only ones that your ego has harmed."

"What? What now?" Abigail snapped her fingers and they appeared in the school on the day Courtney arrived in Hollywood Arts. She started to smile and instantly recognized the moment. "Hey! Courtney's big day!"

"Yes. Her big day."

Down the hall, her younger self waited at the lockers for a friend. Courtney came in and gushed when she saw her. "Tori!" Courtney called out while waving her hand. "Tori! Sinjin pulled some strings with Sikowitz and got me in!" Tori backed away from her locker and looked over her shoulders, smiling gently.

"Hey Courtney, that's great. Are you still interested in biology?"

"Yeah." Courtney hurried over. "Hey, you want to share a locker like old times? Is that possible?"

"It's possible, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea, really…"

"Why not?"

"Well, no reason-" She saw Beck and Jade walking up with Andre and gasped. "Oh no, I can't talk right now."

"Huh?" The confused girl looked back at the trio an started to smile. "Sweet! Are they friends of yours too?"

"Yeah."

"Can I hang out with you guys? Maybe you can show me around school?"

"Um-um-I'm not sure."

"Why not?"

"Yo Vega!" Beck called out. Jade stared at Courtney with a subtle smirk and Andre raised his eyebrows. Tori stepped past Courtney and smiled at her friends. "Who are you talking to?"

"Oh nobody really, I was just headed to class!"

"Want to run by the cafeteria right quick?"

"S-Sure!"

As they left Courtney lifted a finger and stared on, still baffled. "B-But I thought…" Abigail crossed her arms and looked to Tori, who was stunned at the sight. The sound of rolling wheels echoed through the halls and Courtney turned to see her brother pushing a cart of supplies down the hallway. Trina was behind him, talking about her upcoming graduation. This was Sinjin's first year as a teacher's assistant, he was one year older than Trina. Courtney was sixteen, same age as Tori. The girl's tears couldn't be seen beneath her glasses. "Sinjin! You said Tori was going to show me around school!"

"She should have, what's going on? I can't, I'm trying to work and Trina's already talking my ear off." He smirked at Trina, who elbowed him in the side.

"She blew me off…Tori said I was a nobody!" Trina raised an eyebrow and Sinjin remained silent, his calmness not betraying the anger in his eyes.

"My sister said what to you?"

"Her friends walked up and saw me, asked who I was, and she said 'nobody'. I don't understand! I thought we were best friends!" Trina rubbed her forehead and groaned.

"Ugh, I'll have to talk to her about that." Trina smiled and motioned for Courtney to follow her. "Don't worry, I'll show you around the school. Your brother's right, I should probably let him get back to work."

"Oh god," Tori turned away shamefully as Abigail shook her head. "I-I don't know what to say! Trina did try to scold me for that later, I just drowned her out and told her she was being annoying! I'm a terrible person!"

"No you're not a terrible person." Abigail snapped her fingers and the scenery changed to a bright meadow. "You're just misguided, if you will. You lost your place, let your temporary moment of fame and excitement go to your head…" Tori looked back at the meadow to see that she really was just at the cemetery once more, staring at her gravestone.

"Why bring me here again? Why?"

"A reminder. This to remind you of a person who forgot who she was." Abigail pointed to the grave and her lips grew thin. "Victoria Harris. She lost sight of what was important to her, and because of that, she lost everything. Her father, her sister, her friends, family…everything gone. She could have been somebody, she could have lived a full happy life with her family, with the right people beside her, but instead…she gave it all up for attention. No one will ever visit her grave. Look at it. It's different, you see."

"Different?" She took another look and moved her hand to her chest. Tears rushed from her face as she fell to her knees. Weeds had grown tall and practically covered the entire grave. The stone was worn and chipped, and it looked like someone had taken a mallet to it. "My…god…"

"Is this who you want to be? Do you want to be Victoria? Forgotten? Alone? Truly unloved? This is what all that attention is getting you."

"T-This cemetery doesn't have anyone to provide upkeep on the graves?"

"No. They ask the relatives to do that."

"I…" The other graves in the cemetery looked like new, people came regularly to care for them. Hers was untouched as though if one were to touch it they would become diseased. "I don't want this…I don't…"

"You became like your mother, who gave you and your sister years of neglect. You neglected your children and fought viciously with them, even treating them as if you were still number one in your life and they never mattered. So years of neglect, it turns out Rebecca and Kimberly are fine neglecting you. They've grown much older now, have happier families, Kim's eldest is attending college now. Their children know little about their grandmother or grandfather."

"I get it. I get it…I'll work on it, I will! Just. Can I please wake up soon? Please?"

"Unfortunately no."

"What?! I have to stay here? Sitting at the cemetery?"

"Not quite, I'll stay with you. I'll need to explain some things first…"

* * *

This reality check, more ominous than the other, and more deafening. Fanfic-reader and Mai, let me know if how I'm going is an uncomfortable speed. I've already written this story and I'm trying to get this story posted up before my college camping trip. You _know_ I don't update this fast, I always try to leave some space if possible, and I wouldn't be updating like this if it wasn't just the two of you reading this. I'd rather not have this and Pariah both having to go through a two to three week break. Double Life, also has just a couple chapters remaining that I must finish writing. So...bear with me...


	17. Road Trip

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N: Last chapter for today because it's interconnected with Tori's last one

* * *

Chapter 17 (Road Trip)

Sinjin coughed violently into his hands as he jolted upright, his voice was scratchy and hoarse, and his vision was slowly adjusting. "God! Thanks a lot for that, Grandma." He heard the voice of Bonnie MacFarlane reply sarcastically.

"Since when is a sharp kick not helpful?"

"When it's not painful!" He pushed himself up and staggered to the right. His mind was a jumbled mess and he was trying to sort out everything she'd told him while he was out. The first and foremost thought he had was if Trina and Courtney were okay. He looked around the area as his vision finally adjusted and he frowned at Tori's friends' convulsing bodies. "Well Granny MacFarlane, you were right, they're going through hell right now." Sinjin tapped his toe against Beck's body and narrowed his eyes. "I have mixed feelings about his hell. One, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, but at the same time, I feel almost glad he's suffering. I know that's wrong, and I regret it, but I think he deserves _some_ suffering."

"It's not a bad thing." Bonnie appeared beside him. Her sandy brown hair was up in a bun and her plain dress seemed to sway as though being blown by wind. "I mean it's bad yes that he's going through hell, but it's normal that you might have ill regards towards him."

"He restrained Trina, let his…you know, certain stuff out on her bed, and he's pushed around his girlfriends. He's a jackass, pardon my language granny."

"Oh I understand, believe me I do." Sinjin turned his gaze to the counter where a waitress had fallen asleep over it. He raised an eyebrow, still struggling to believe that all of LA was unconscious. The only reason he was awake was because Bonnie guided him through a maze of strange dreams and his determination to wake up enabled her to try and locate a way to get him up. "So what's the deal now? Your sister's at the house and Trina's in New Austin."

"Will Courtney be okay?"

"Yes, there's nothing that will harm her. I can guarantee that."

"Then I want to start heading to New Austin. Otherwise I'll be truly bored."

"Aw sitting and sharing stories with your grandma isn't entertaining enough?"

"It's not quite that." He rubbed his chin as he began to leave the restaurant. He was debating if there was anything to do in LA. Maybe there was a way to help, but maybe not. "You said those ghosts have only extended their reach to LA, right?"

"Correct."

"So what happens if we take the sleepers _out_ of LA? Will they wake up?" Bonnie did a double take and stared down at Tori and her friends.

"I'm not sure. I don't think Tori's friends will because they're dealing with something more strenuous. Tori and your sister, maybe…"

"It's worth testing. Mr. Vega's out there somewhere and both of his daughters are dealing with shit. The least I can do for him is help them both somehow." He grabbed Tori's body and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Jeez what is it with you men and carrying people like a potato sack?"

"I'm doing this as fast as I can." He walked out of the diner and towards his car. His mind was focused intently on one thing, and that was finding Trina and getting their sisters out of LA if it was possible to help them that way. "You said that land is cursed, cars will not run in there?"

"Modern day cars won't, old ones will."

"Old ones?" He smirked as her words sparked an idea. "I've got an Model T that belonged to my grandfather out behind my apartment. Trina and I have been fixing it up over the years so I could auction it off and make some money to help my sister with college."

"Really now?"

"Yep, I've been looking after my little sister for years and someone's got to pay her tuition. The car is drivable and doesn't have too many miles on it. Do you think it would drive?"

"Is it pre-1914?" He had to think on that one, but he was certain it was.

"My Great-Great grandfather brought the car to California when he brought William here as a baby. I believe the car was purchased down there, so I think it is. I have never heard Grandpa or Great-Gramps, William talk about you that much because they never knew you. So I don't know why your dad never left with Daniel and William."

"Probably he was stuck in his ways and wouldn't leave the farm. Makes sense then that he would stay there. At least I get to see him again…maybe…"

"If all goes well and we can find Hennington Stead, then yeah." After he put Tori in the back seat and drove to the house, he hurried into his apartment to find Courtney sleeping on the couch. He knelt beside his sister and felt of her cheek, it was warm and rich with blood, a good sign that she was alive. "I wonder how these two are going to get along back there…"

"What do you mean?"

"Tori and Courtney were best friends a long time ago. They grew apart once Tori went to that school. I feel bad because I let Courtney go to Hollywood Arts so she could hang out with Tori more." Bonnie frowned and Sinjin rose up from the couch.

"What happened to your parents? Why don't you live with them?"

"Dad died back in 2005, I was thirteen then, Courtney was only nine. Mom hit the drink something fierce after that, just boozing and losing all control of herself. So I sued for emancipation when I was nearing seventeen years of age. Once granted, Courtney wanted to move in with me so she didn't have to endure Mom's mental breakdowns. Right now, I don't know where mom's at or anything, she ran off after Courtney moved in with me, and hasn't been back here since."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah…you and a lot of other people." He chuckled and made his way to the back door. "The car's out back." Bonnie glanced at Courtney once more, then followed after him. "You know, it's funny. I've been taking care of her since she was thirteen, with Trina's help of course. Maybe even years before that, since dad passed away. You think I'd have missed out on all my teenage years, but I've done pretty well for myself and for Courtney. Something to be proud of, I suppose."

"I think so." Bonnie leaned against the doorway and managed to not fall through, much to Sinjin's amazement. "You know, if we go into New Austin, we won't be able to dispatch the ghosts like Trina and John are."

"Honestly, I think Trina's doing just fine without my help, Granny."

"You think she's up for the job, huh?"

"Of course. She's a strong woman, always has been. Even through her worst experiences in life, she's pulled through. She's amazing, an inspiration. I love her because of that, or that's one of those reasons anyway. Another is because she will always do the right thing, no matter what."

"I like that. It's also good to know you trust her to take care of herself." Sinjin glanced curiously at her, a bit startled that she would even fathom any amount of doubt in his mind. "You have to understand, I grew up in a time when women weren't respected. I was a woman in a man's world. Some people back there wouldn't be too friendly with the idea of a woman doing a job that a man should be doing."

"Well, she's always capable of handling herself. Sure, if she ever needs help with anything, I'm there, but I will never doubt her." Bonnie laughed and Sinjin looked back as he put his hand to the back door. "Yes?"

"I'm just thinking. John's great-great-great granddaughter and my great-great grandson. Quite the pair. It's good you have someone like her in your life and she's got you. Have you been there for her long?"

"Long enough to see her in her worst of times and to see her in her best times. We met back in 2003. I was eleven, she was ten. We met down there at the beach while our fathers were talking. She was there for me when I lost my dad in '05 and I was there for her when…" He paused and narrowed his eyes as a deep anger flashed within him. "When a boyfriend treated her like shit in '08. Come on grandma, let's get the car."

As they made their way outside, Bonnie gushed at the old Model-T. Sinjin studied the car with pride. It was black, as all cars were back then, and had a covered top. There were two seats up front and three in the back. "This would definitely run in New Austin, Sinjin!"

"That's what I'm hoping for. I'm also hoping that when we get out of LA, Courtney and Tori will wake up."

"What are you going to tell Tori when she wakes up? With how she's been acting lately…"

"I don't know." He climbed into the front seat and started the car up. "She's going to need to support what her sister's doing, but she may also want to be with her friends. The reason I'm taking them out of LA is to protect them. Not to mention, if something goes wrong, if _anything_ happens to Trina in New Austin, I want to be there. Those ghosts can't win, and Trina could use a cheer team."

"That's actually somewhat sweet of you. So you don't want to try and take Tori's friends out of LA?"

"They won't fit in the car. I imagine I could get one of them in, but even still, I'm not sure who I want to bother with. I want to punch Beck in the face still, I don't care for Andre too much right now, Jade will probably be vicious to me, my sister, and likely Tori the whole trip down, and Robbie? Well Robbie's just…no...My main concerns are Trina's sister, and my sister."

"Makes sense. Besides, someone needs to sit in that passenger seat. May as well be me."

"Says the ghost who can travel as a disembodied voice…"

It was not long before both sisters were packed into the backseat and Sinjin was carefully leaving the city of LA. It was difficult with bodies and cars littering the streets, but he managed to make it until they saw the sign informing them that they were leaving the city of LA.

All during his current stay in LA, he didn't want to say it, but he had felt an icy, ghostly grip on him. Once out of range of the city, that grip vanished. About twenty miles outside the town, Bonnie appeared in the passenger seat beside him and glanced in the back seat. "They're still asleep?"

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure I saw Courtney's hand move a while ago. I didn't want to worry you back there, Granny, but I_ definitely_ felt a cold death grip on me. The feeling's gone now and I can relax, but it wasn't a good feeling."

"That must have been the ghosts still holding on."

"Most likely." They heard groaning sounds and Sinjin's eyes flew to the rearview mirror. Tori and Courtney were moving their heads and their eyes were fluttering. He pulled to the shoulder of the freeway and grinned as the two girls opened their eyes and looked around. Abigail appeared between the two of them and stared at Bonnie and Sinjin with surprise. Sinjin looked to his grandmother with a smirk. "I told you it would work."

"W-Where am I?" The girls moaned. Sinjin started up the car once more and got back on the freeway, there really wasn't time to stop now, but he was more than thrilled to see them awake. "Sinjin? What…What's going on?"

"We're taking a little road trip-to the old west that Trina loves hearing about so much."

* * *

Sinjin, Tori and Courtney are awake. Bear in mind each ghost has different strengths and capabilities. John is the strongest ghost right now between him, Abigail and Bonnie. Abigail as you saw could alter realities in such a way to show what would happen, and Bonnie was able to jumpstart Sinjin into waking up.


	18. Resting the Night

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Resting the Night)

Trina was stopped in the Mexican town of Escalera where the alleged Abraham Reyes, former rebel leader and current president was. When they came through, she saw many people protesting Abraham for rule. When John explained how against Allende they were, she could only think these were a people that could never be satisfied.

She was in the house that John purchased long ago, she opted to remain elusive if possible. Some recognized her as the 'hero' of New Austin that arrived, considering they were travelers in Armadillo at the time of her arrival. "John, you should go visit Abraham. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you again after all this time. Rather than being assassinated by everyone who looks at him."

"I'd rather not." John paced the floor while she was laying on the soft bed with her hands beneath her head and her eyes fixated on the ceiling above her. "Besides, he's just become as much of a womanizer as Allende was."

"I've heard the stories. How Allende 'recruited' his female supporters every time they had a victory over the rebels. I know you said Abraham's the same way, and I don't care. I didn't say I had to meet him, I was talking about you. I know better than to go up to someone like him in a time when women aren't respected as equals or as anything other than baby-making machines…" John started to chuckle as she shrugged her shoulders.

It wasn't that she was a feminist, she hated the die-hard feminists with a passion, but she did support women's rights and equality. "I don't know if I'd be worried, to be honest. Anyone that gets the wrong idea, I think you would attack them."

"I don't _want _to, that's the thing. I can't stand it. Anyway, I don't care to meet Abraham because he's Beck's ancestor, as you said. Beck is a womanizer and I don't really want to chew out Beck's ancestor because of something he's done. It's not that guy's fault Beck didn't treat his girlfriends right."

"Nah, it's just in the blood."

"Exactly." Trina tilted her head as she thought of all the people she met so far. It was a lonely journey, she missed everyone back home. Strangely enough, the people here made up for that. "You know what would be funny? If Herbert Moon had a descendant that was black or a powerful female, or something like that.

"Try Jew, he usually hates them the most for some reason. The irony is, he _does_ have descendents like that." Trina sat up and laughed as John sat down in a chair with the back facing her. He leaned forward and hung his arms over the edge of the seat.

"You're kidding me."

"Not at all. His-I don't know how many greats it is exactly but he's got a grandson in school who is Jewish on his father's side. The boy's mother, also direct descendent of Herbert Moon is a powerful attorney. She was also Catholic at one time, I believe. Then her mother, another direct descendent married an African American. I swear, this would give ol' Moon a heart attack."

"I want to see his face!" She cackled at the thought of Herbert Moon spazzing out over such news. "This is what we like to call poetic justice, Grandpa." She wiped a joyful tear from her eyes and tried to calm down her laughter. John beamed with joy as he watched her. "Oh god if only if only."

"I imagine he'll find out when he sees old Saint Peter at the gates. His racist bigoted ass will probably cause him to fall right through those clouds."

"I know, right? I mean we shouldn't be talking like that, but still…" She took a deep breath, still giggling hard. "Okay, I'm calm now. I think I'm good. _God_ I'm glad to hear that." She pushed herself up against the wall and moved her legs in Indian style. "Grandpa, can I tell you something?" John nodded and smiled tenderly at her. "I'm glad you're not one of those sexist, bigoted apes. I know a lot of people in your time were, but the fact that you and Granddad Jack weren't is something I think I can really admire and respect."

"That's good, I'm glad you think so. I've done a lot of traveling, Trina, and I've met all sorts of folks along the away. You can never judge a book by what someone looks like, I'll tell you that. No one is inherently evil or one way because they look or act a certain way. I've met women who were smart, strong, powerful, yet gentle and compassionate. I've met people of all races who were able to mix with one another and be at peace rather than at war or full of hatred. Most of the bigots and racists and sexists out there are people who haven't left so much as their doorstep, much less actually met someone they claim to hate. I like to say, a traveled man is a wise man."

"I agree. It's nice to know wisdom runs well in the family. Now if only my sister would listen to my dad, maybe she'd get some sense, right?"

"Perhaps."

"Yeah." She lay back on her bed and rolled onto her side. "I'm going to try and get some sleep now. Since you'll probably still be awake, I think you ought to pay your old friend a visit. Maybe he's not as nuts as he was back then."

"Or maybe he's worse, I'd rather not mess with him."

"He should at least know he has descendents."

"He has descendents all over, Trina, I'm sure he knows just fine." His stubbornness matched well with hers, considering she wanted to know just why he didn't want to bother with Abraham. At the same time, she was far too tired to argue with him. "Maybe we can start heading to Sepulcro tomorrow."

"Yeah, good idea. Still not sure how comfortable I am with burning all those graves, but if it's necessary, then it is necessary. Maybe you can tell me why you don't want to see Abraham."

"Because I don't want him hitting on my granddaughter, that's why." Trina snickered at the thought and closed her eyes. It was a semi-nice sentiment that he didn't feel like seeing an old friend of his hit on her, but at the same time, she wasn't too concerned with it.

"I don't care if he hits on me. I can tell him I have a boyfriend that I love very much."

"I've never seen him care."

"Just go visit him, Grandpa. You don't even have to mention me. Plus, I think it'll be funny. If he's asleep right now and you show up, you can do the whole ghostly 'change your ways' thing."

"I honestly don't think I could do that very well. My wife probably could."

"If you're concerned I'm going to freak out because he's a womanizer, don't be. I really don't care, I've met plenty and I can deal with it. If you think I'll freak because of my ex, don't, if I'm uncomfortable with something, I deal. Go see him."

"All right…you win. Try to get some sleep."

"Thank you."

She must have slept for at least an hour when she was jolted awake by a swift knock at the door. When she opened her eyes, she listened to the sound of someone pleading for help. "Why when I'm asleep?" She rose up and answered the door to see a man in a sombrero. "What's up?"

"Please Miss Marston, I heard you were in town and my shop-I've been robbed!" People were still doing that after all these years? What was the use? Furthermore, where were stores getting their supplies? She understood ones where the materials were from vegetation in the land. "He took my money."

"I'll go retrieve it. Also, it's Ve-oh whatever. I'll be right back."

She left the house and hopped onto Shadow, who was waiting at the hitch post. In the corner of her eyes, she saw a man running from town. The store owner pointed the man out and she instantly took off. Trina grabbed the lasso from Shadow's saddle and called out to the burglar. The man looked over his shoulder and cried out in vain. "No!"

"If you say I can't catch you, you've got another thing coming! You couldn't wait until morning when I'm not asleep?"

She swung the lasso in the air as her grandfather showed her, then threw it towards the robber. Once the noose was around his chest, she yanked the rope back, tightening it around the man and pulling him to the ground. Before jumping off Shadow, she yawned loudly and stared with a lucid smile at the man.

When she returned, the shop owner thanked her and took the man away. Her eyes were halfway down and exhaustion lines were forming on her face. "Great. Now to sle-"

"Hey there!"

"No!" A well built man with a dark goatee and shaggy hair was walking towards her and waving in the air. He had sharp brown hair and slightly resembled Beck through his cheekbones and face. "Now what…I'm trying to sleep…"

"I heard from the townsfolk that John's granddaughter was here to save our land. I had to see you!" She hooked her thumbs into her belt and smiled politely as the man walked up to her and admired her. "And you are truly stunning!"

"Thanks. You know my great-great-great grandpa?"

"Yes! He helped me win against Allende. I am Abraham! Abraham Reyes!"

"Oh…that explains the immediate flirt."

"What? It is no lie, you are a stunning woman. Had I known John would produce such beautiful descendents, I would have let him sleep with my sister." She scrunched her face as he put his hands to his hip and laughed.

"No offence, Mr. Reyes, but that is disgusting. Not to mention, I know one of your descendents personally." She waved her hand dismissively in the air and leaned against the wall of the house. Abraham's eyes lit up and his jaw dropped.

"You know one of my descendents? Truly?"

"Yeah, I know him."

"What is he like? Please enlighten me, I'd love to know!" Trina was beside herself in thinking of how to describe Beck to him. She didn't want to say the man was a womanizer.

"He is…um-just like you, Mr. Reyes." Abraham gasped once more and Trina started to yawn. "He's not a terrible man, but we don't get along too well."

"Why not?"

"Personal reasons, I suppose. He sees the world one way, I see it another way. He's currently in LA. I'm here to try and free this land…just five more ghosts to take out, including de Santa and Allende." She was going to be honest with Abraham now, despite wanting not to worry him too much. "Beck is going through hell, right now."

Abraham's eyes widened and his cheery demeanor grew grim as streaks of concern formed on his forehead. "What? Why?"

"Because de Santa and Allende want revenge on your descendents like Edgar and my grandpa's old gang wants revenge on his. Only, they don't know which of his friends and him are your descendents…because I'm sure you've had many with the way grandpa talks about you, no offense."

"None taken."

"Right…so the ghosts of Sepulcro are being commanded by de Santa…their task is to slowly whittle away at my sister's friends, which includes your descendent, until their soul is so destroyed that they can pull him into hell. I'm heading to Sepulcro in the morning to take out de Santa and the ghosts that live there. It should free him of their hold."

"Would you save him?"

"Working on it. Just like I'd like to get back to bed, Mr. Reyes. I'm going to get back to um…thinking about my boyfriend back home. Yes. And how faithful I am to him."

Abraham's voice fell flat and his eyes narrowed, "I know you've probably been told I'm a womanizer who likes to sleep around with any woman he can get his hands on, and this is true! However, I can also respect my friend's granddaughter. I'm not about to ask you sleep with me…"

"Good, cause I'm not the type of girl to easily sleep around with anyone either."

"Ah yes, the women in Mexico are no longer swayed by my silver tongue and my mighty stance."

"What an ego." She chuckled softly and leaned her head against the house wall, closing her eyes. Sleep was about to take over, she could tell, as the wooden wall was comfortable to her. "Beck has this vanity problem too, thinks that his hair wills him the power to sleep with all the girls in school and that they all want him."

"Oh…well I am truly sorry for that."

"Don't get me wrong, as I said, he's not a _bad_ guy once you really get to know him. At least, I don't think so, he's not done anything with my sister. So that's important."

"Would you like me to help you to the bed? You look like you're about to fall over."

Her eyes flew open and she pushed herself from the wall, staggering slightly to the side as she wiped her mouth. "No, I'm fine. I'll take myself to bed. Has John been by to see you yet?"

"Yeah about half an hour ago. He went off to the spirit realm or something and I thought I'd stop by for a visit."

John appeared beside Trina and crossed his arms, "And I told you not to disturb her. She was asleep."

"Was being the operative term." Trina rubbed her forehead and groaned. "It wasn't his fault, Grandpa, the store owner knew I was in town and got robbed, so I woke up to that guy pounding on my door."

"Store owner?" Abraham raised an eyebrow and shot her a look of concern. "What store owner? This town doesn't have a store anymore, they ran out of supplies years ago and had to shut down."

"Well then who did I help?"

"What did they look like?"

"Well the store owner was a chubby guy with a sombrero. The robber was skinny and had a thin mustache and wavy hair. I don't remember much else." Abraham shifted uncomfortably and John asked him what was up.

"They match the description. There isn't much law remaining in Mexico, people have given up. I haven't been able to catch them, but there is this gang running around that tries to find women alone in the middle of the night that are susceptible to being dragged off. I hear the gang tends to think up grand schemes, disappears for a little bit of time, then comes back to take their victim." Trina groaned again and Abraham looked towards his mansion in the distance. "I'd like you two to stay at my mansion for the night, I have a room. It really would be safest now that those guys have seen you."

"Thanks, but I can handle myself." She looked to her door and narrowed her eyes as an idea came to mind. "How about we do this. Maybe you know where Allende or Javier Escuella are buried. I'll wait for these bandits to come back and I'll try to nab them for you so you don't have to worry about them, and in return, you can help me by giving us the location of one of those ghosts we're after."

"I believe I do know where Allende is buried. I'll do that, but I'd like to keep watch in case anything goes wrong."

"Sure. Might be a good idea, with how exhausted I am."

John nodded, "I'll wake you if they show up tonight."

"Great, that will help tremendously."

* * *

So a little break and fighting to come.


	19. Rounding up the Banditos

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (Rounding up the Banditos)

"Trina get up, someone's coming." Trina mumbled at her grandfather, half asleep. She didn't want to get up, she was comfortable, but she didn't want to forget her deal with Abraham. "Trina wake up!" She buried her face into her pillow, moaning loudly as she moved her hands to the edges of the bed and started to push her body up wards.

"What time is it? How long have I been out?"

"It's been a couple hours."

"Where's my backpack? I put my gun daddy gave me in there." She opened her eyes and looked around to find her black bag at the other end of the room. "Mr. Reyes said there's no law in this area anymore? There is now." Trina moved for the bag and pulled out her favorite weapon of choice. "Did you know Dad's taken me to the shooting range at least once a week for the last few years? I may not be the best shot in the world, but I bet these bandits will be surprised to see I know how to use a gun."

"The people in this land aren't that out of touch with reality. Just a few of them are. Now the question remains…have you ever shot anyone before?"

"No. I've never needed to. Hopefully I won't have to here either." A police officer never wanted to shoot a person, to fire off their weapon was to be a last resort. That was something her father always said. "I also have something that works a little better than a lasso."

"What?"

"These…" She reached into the bag and pulled out a pair of her dad's handcuffs, she found a few and stashed them into the bag on the off chance she'd actually need them. John raised an eyebrow and Trina smirked. "The keys are in the bag, but I don't think there's much to worry about. I've got a few of the handcuffs in case we run into trouble, and look what we have here. Bandits. I've never felt more of a rush. Or at least…not yet." She holstered her gun and flexed her hands.

"You're going to fight them with just your hands?"

"If I have to. Dad learned Krav Maga when he was in the police academy. He taught me a little of it, but not much, since I already had a martial arts instructor. So I know tae kwon do and a bit of Krav Maga, I can disarm my opponents. I won't pull my gun out unless I need to. Not to mention, there's a mental trick to it."

"Mental?"

"Yes, to play according to the opponent's mindset. We're in 1914 where most men think of women as a lesser, weaker sex. So, we can use that to our advantage." She began pulling the handcuffs from her bag and stuffed them all into her right pocket just beside her gun holster. She knew in the dead of night, the bandits wouldn't be able to see her gun that well. "Where are they, grandpa? How close?"

John glanced out the nearby window and chuckled nervously. "They're at the house now, there's three of them. Sombrero hat guy, skinny moustache guy, and a greasy looking bald guy."

"Ugh…okay. Three is perfect."

"How many handcuffs did you bring with you again?"

"Dad has a whole stock of them, so about eight I stashed away. I know to use them wisely. These men I don't want to play around with, so handcuffs are the best bet."

"Fair enough."

She made her way to the door and opened it up to see three men staring at her with sick, disgusting grins. The bald man was to the right, the skinny man was to the left, and the sombrero hat man was in the middle. "Ah she's come to us, that's a new one," replied the sombrero man. Trina raised an eyebrow and smirked at them.

"You lied to me. Said you were a store owner. You're not."

"Ah but you're just a lady, it doesn't matter whether you think of me as a store owner or not." Trina bowed her head and swept her thumb across her nose, chuckling softly.

"Okay then. If you say so." She studied the men to see what they had on them. The bald man had a pistol attached to his hip like she did. The sombrero guy had a shawl over his shoulders and a knife in hand, while the skinny man had nothing.

In the corner of her eyes, she could see the skinny guy was slowly inching towards her. Judging by his size and the fact that he was unarmed, she had to assume he could be the weakest. However, she knew better than to underestimate, as he could be extremely scrappy. Fortunately parkour had not been invented yet, she could never keep up with those kinds of people.

"I heard Mexico lost their law. Gave up on the law. I should let you know, I'm not from Mexico, I believe in upholding the law." This would be where she'd cockily tell them they were under arrest, but she knew better than to blow her cover in such a manner. "You guys won't get away with what it is you're doing."

"And who really cares? You heard right, the law is gone in this town, we can do whatever we want."

"So I'm guessing you're the boss of this little gang of yours?"

"Yep, just us three. There used to be more of us, but they're all hogtied or stuck in cells around Nuevo Paraíso."

"That's good to know."

"Ah yes, you'll be happy to know we don't have to share you with many others." Trina rolled her eyes and swayed her head from side to side, still watching the skinny man from the corner of her eyes.

"Eh, sorry, but I don't think my boyfriend would be too happy about that. See, there's this guy and we're real in love, and he's not too big on the whole 'sharing' thing. He can get _pretty jealous_ at times." There was some truth to it. She'd seen the way Sinjin would glare at any man that looked her way for a lingering amount of time. He knew how to restrain himself, but there were times she could tell he truly wanted to pounce.

"Oh don't worry your pretty little head about that, he won't have to know. It'll be like you just disappeared. Besides, he ain't going to see you again, once we're done with you, we'll dump you in a ditch somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. You're just a chick, won't find your way back I'm sure, and your boyfriend will find someone new. They always do."

"Not this one. You'd have to be careful, he'd hunt you all down himself, I know him pretty damn well." Now that was completely true of Sinjin. He was devoted to her and to his sister. If one of the two of them were to be hurt in any way, he would find the person responsible and confront them.

"Look missy, don't take this the wrong way, but we don't care about your boyfriend. We ain't afraid of him."

The bald headed man laughed, "That's right! We ain't afraid of anyone."

The skinny person was now within arm's reach. Trina smirked and twitched the hand closest to him. "Did I say my boyfriend was the one you should be afraid of? Don't go putting words in my mouth. There's a reason he trusts me so well and doesn't have to worry about all these things I mention, because I know how to handle myself. In fact…you'd go so far as to say over the years _I_ became the dangerous one."

She grabbed the skinny man's arm in a sudden movement, causing him to scream out in pain as she switched behind him and tore his limb to his back. She had her thumb pressing fiercely into the palm of his hand, his arm was in a very painful position, and her left hand was now on his shoulder. The bald headed man and the sombrero man screamed out in surprise as she wagged her eyebrows.

"You want to go one round with me? Quit whistling Dixie and let's dance." The man's free arm flailed as he struggled to break free from his grip. "Men like you make me sick to my stomach, just so you know." She tore one of the handcuffs from her pocket and slapped it onto the man's free wrist, then yanked his arm back so she could cuff the other wrist.

"Hey! What the hell are you doin' to me!" The man cried out. "What are these things!"

"They're called handcuffs." She glanced up to see the bald man running for her, growling angrily. He had yet to withdraw his gun.

_"Forward momentum, use the opponent's weight against him."_ She smirked as her eyes drifted towards the man's legs. "There is truth to the phrase: The bigger they are, the harder they fall." She pat the skinny man and pushed him down somewhat, causing him to whimper fearfully. "I'm going to use you for a minute. There's this game back home called bowling!" She kicked the man in the back, sending him tumbling towards the bald man's legs. The oncoming man screamed out as he tripped over his lighter partner and came crashing to the ground.

"Aw and I really thought you were going to satisfy me." She flung herself on top of the man's back and threw her second pair of cuffs on him. Realizing the boss was coming her way, she grabbed the bald man's gun as well as her own and aimed them both at the man. The boss froze just feet away from her, staring down the two pistols with wide eyes. She smirked at him and narrowed her eyes. "You know, there's a reason you should never bring a knife to a gun fight. You want to fight fair, drop the knife and I'll put the gun down. We can do this mano-a-mano. I'm really wanting to flex my combat skills a bit."

"You? Combat? A woman? Don't make me laugh."

"Um hello, did you _not_ just see me take down Muscles and Scrapper here? Tell you what. Put down your weapon and fight me in a fair fight. You win-I'll go with you and free your men." She was lying through her teeth, but she needed to appeal to his better nature. "I win, you're going to whatever prison Mr. Reyes has for you, and you'll never terrorize another woman or child as long as you shall live. Got it? Quite frankly if you say no, there's only one way this is going to end anyway."

"Fine. You have a deal…"

"Good." She unloaded the bald man's gun, holstered her gun, and threw the now empty gun to the side. "Still waiting on you to put down that knife."

"Fine…" He set the knife down with a low growl as Trina rose to her feet. "All right, _puta_. You think you're so good, let's see what you got."

"You should be careful what you say. I'm half Latina, I know Spanish, _Cabrón_." She turned up a crooked smile and folded her arms. "Puede que te aconsejo hacerme enojar, hijo de puta." The man's eyes widened with anger and he instantly charged her, readying a fist to strike her.

"You got a mouth on you, let me put you in your place!"

"Finally." She crouched down as his fist went over her head. His body moved with the strike. She threw a fist forward, pounding into his flabby belly. The man doubled over in pain as she slid around him and kicked the knife away from the area. She rose up and lifted her right leg high into the air, difficult to do with jeans. "Hey buddy!" The man looked over his shoulder, groaning as she brought her leg down, striking him with her heel.

The man pulled himself up from the ground and wiped some blood from his mouth. "Maldita perra!" He charged her once more like a bull, his body was hunched over so his stomach was inward.

"Bad form, buddy." She side stepped him and brought her hand down in a chopping motion on his back, causing him to scream and fall to the ground. "Well  
I guess you're not enough to satisfy me."

"Y-Y-You…" The man lay sprawled out on the ground with one hand on his back. He was practically crying as he writhed in the pain. She thought she'd pulled her punches a bit, but clearly not. She was just getting warmed up!

Trina bent over and pat him on the head, "Sorry but I need a man that can satisfy _and_ keep up with me. You're not even a fraction of the man my boyfriend is." The man groaned as she pulled her handcuffs out. "I suppose this is where I say you're under arrest. You have no rights of silence whatsoever, sir.. Anything you say or do _will_ be used against you in the court of law that does not exist here. If you cannot afford an attorney, don't worry, one will not be provided for you because there are no attorneys present. Bam-I am the law."

Abraham came rushing around the corner with John, his eyes were wide and he was giddy with excitement. "That was amazing! You were like throwing blows left and right! Without even using a gun!" Trina cuffed the man.

"Uh huh. I learned a thing or two from my martial arts instructor. These three men are yours." She rose up and looked towards the door. "I think I'm going to go throw up though, these slimeballs make me sick. You didn't tell me the bandits around here were so trashy."

"Sorry if they made you uncomfortable."

"It's really no big deal, I just wasn't expecting some of that. So you know where Allende is buried? I'm ready to burn his bones. I'm all fired up now." She looked to the sky, it was becoming orange. "The sun's rising. So begins our day, I guess."

"Right. I believe Allende was buried behind the El Presidio." The president's mansion, of course. This was in the region of the map called Diez Coronas, so perhaps he was in charge of that region. It was on the other side of the map, as they were in Punta Orgullo. Sepulcro was smack in the middle of the two regions, in Perdido.

"So, we could probably stop by Sepulcro on the way." She cracked her knuckles and grinned at John."Looks like we have a busy day ahead of us, Grandpa." John nodded his head as one of the three handcuffed men started to shout swears at them. Trina kept smiling at her grandpa while slowly kicking her foot back, striking the man in the head and knocking him unconscious. "What are the possibilities that de Santa and Allende are the two ghosts keeping Nuevo Paraíso locked in? Or is that too obvious?"

"It does seem a bit too obvious," John remarked, "Not to mention I have a feeling there are three ghosts buried here."

"Remember what Seth said? Only two are in charge of each place. New Austin, West Elizabeth, and Nuevo Paraíso. With that being said, why wouldn't there be four ghosts buried up above the river?"

"Because these ghosts are a lot smarter than we're giving them credit for. Why would they put the two in charge of a particular region in the same region?"

"You have a point. Not to mention West Elizabeth is the smallest of the three regions, so one of the ones controlling that particular area is bound to be buried elsewhere."

"Yeah. At least I think we'll know what section the ghosts control. There was a different feeling to Gaptooth Ridge and Rio Bravo once Bill was gone. It was calmer, almost peaceful."

"Yeah, except the animals living there are gone now. That's another way to look at it."

"What?" John crossed his arms and Trina's eyebrows rose in shock, all the animals were _gone?_

"The ghosts have a stronger hold on the humans and the towns in this land than they do the animals. While it takes two to unlock a region, apparently the section that the ghost controls will be cleared when the ghost dies, to the point that the animals will vanish. Freedom. While you were asleep, I checked it out, and animals can no longer cross over into Rio Bravo or Gaptooth Ridge."

"Okay…" So this was a bittersweet feeling. She was glad that the animals were saved, but it also meant fewer wildlife. They would have to work fast since after one hundred years, food was going to become scarce. If animals started disappearing, then the humans still trapped would have less food to eat. They would starve. "When we kill a ghost, can you transport around to see what region has animals disappearing?"

"Of course."

"That will also help us know what major areas are left with New Austin, West Elizabeth and Nuevo Paraíso. It's great that we have something to confirm, but at the same time, less animals means less food. We need to work fast, Grandpa."

"Not sure what you're worrying about," Abraham commented as people began piling the three bandits onto horses. "We can't die in these lands, so it isn't like we're going to starve if the wildlife goes away. It will feel really uncomfortable, yes, but things should be fine."

"I hope so." She moved over to Shadow and took one final look at the bandits before looking to Abraham. "We'll be off now, I hope those three will not give you any trouble. I'm leaving those handcuffs on them so they won't try to escape."

"Much appreciated. Good luck Miss Vega. Mexico will be praying for you and John, I'm sure."

"Thank you."

* * *

What did you think of the fight? pretty good?


	20. Traveler's Arrive

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 20 (The Travelers Arrive)

"All right girls, how you feeling?" Tori looked up at Sinjin from the Burger King booth she was sitting in. They'd been driving for several hours before they took a break in the middle of the trip to stay in a motel room for the night. Courtney had not spoken to her during the entire trip, and both girls had an insatiable hunger. This was not the first time they'd stopped for a bite to eat, and the trip was only supposed to take eleven hours total "We need to get back on the road, we have four hours left before we get anywhere near New Austin."

They _had_ to stop last night since Sinjin needed to do some checkups on the station wagon. It was amazing that the car survived the journey, but regardless, Sinjin had been checking the car every hour to maintain it. Tori had never ridden in one of these before, and he said it was because where they were headed, they couldn't drive a modern car in.

It worried Tori that Trina took her car, so her car likely wasn't running. To this Sinjin said he'd try to fix the car when all was said and done, since he knew a little about the mechanics of a vehicle. She admired this about him, because he did everything he could to care for his sister, and one of those things was maintaining cars and his house.

"Will we get to see Trina when we get there?" She pushed the last bite of her whopper sandwich into her mouth and gazed down at the table. To their right were Abigail and Bonnie, who had nothing to do but watch them eat. "I know we're going to that place to take Bonnie to see her dad, but what about Trina? Will we see her?"

"Hopefully we'll find out where she is," Sinjin replied. Of course she was worried about her sister, her father too, since he was now missing. It was going to be difficult on her if she lost them now when she was trying so hard to start changing. "I'm not going to stop looking, but I know we're not going to run into her by chance. Hope you girls have your strength up."

"Why did you bring us?" Courtney asked as she tossed a French fry in her mouth. "If we were only in comas."

"Because I needed to make sure you were going to be safe and protected. You, and Trina's little sister." Tori leaned back and closed her eyes, sighing heavily as she thought on to her friends back home.

"I want to say something before we leave. I've been sitting on this." Sinjin and Courtney glanced her way as she moved forward over the table and folded her arms on the surface. "I'm sorry. I really, truly am. I screwed up big time. I was disrespectful, mean, and let Hollywood Arts get the best of me."

"You may want to save your apologies for your dad and sister." Sinjin crossed his arms and looked to Courtney. "And Courtney too." Courtney shied away from her and continued to grab for the fries, eating them with nonchalance.

"I know." Tori's eyes started to well up with tears when she saw Courtney wasn't acknowledging her. "Courtney. I-I know I messed up. We were best friends for so long, lab partners in our old school all the time." She chuckled as Courtney turned away from her. "Why I remember…I remember how in chemistry we used to compete with these boys at the lab table next to us. You remember when we poured a little extra sodium in their mixture? What happened after that? We got into so much trouble with the teacher…every day at lunch those same boys would fling their food at us and we took up Trina's suggestion to just start dumping their food trays in the trash. Remember? We had so much fun…" She laughed at the distant memory and studied Courtney's somber expression. "Courtney, I forgot who I was, but I never forgot you. We were best friends once…I miss you."

"I know that, Tori. You should never have gone to that school." Courtney closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you know how much it cost my brother to let me go there? I begged and begged to go so I could hang out with you again, and my first day there, you blew me off! How was I supposed to take that, Tori? Was I supposed to just laugh and say 'oh well'? I wondered for so long, 'how could she do that to me?' and when Trina would come over to complain to Sinjin about how you and those friends were acting…I couldn't believe it was you! It was so absurd to think that you would act the way you did!"

"You're right, and there's no excuse for it." She didn't know how she was going to make up for it, she didn't even know what to do now that she knew she was the problem. "I don't know what to do about them now, obviously they are my friends too, but I've learned some things about them that I don't know…I don't know if it's a deal breaker. I don't want to abandon friends and family anymore."

"If they can't accept your friends or family, then they're not worth your time," Sinjin wisely stated. "I know Trina's going to try and save them regardless of how they treat her. But _you_ need to step it up." His words were firm and powerful, speaking volumes to her. "You tell your friends to start respecting your family. I shouldn't tell you how to be, and I'm not doing that, but I will say this: if they don't respect your family or friends, then they don't respect you. Period."

"I don't know that they do."

"Are you kidding me? Beck and Jade were screwing each other in your sister's room and you allowed it! Of course they don't respect you!"

"No Jade wasn't! She was telling him no, I heard it! I even was going to try and figure out what they were doing. Trina got upstairs before then." Sinjin crossed his arms and studied her skeptically. She understood why he was skeptical, but she needed him to understand she wasn't making excuses for her friends. "I know it's wrong either way, they shouldn't even make out in my sister's room, let alone think about having sex. Just…I'm not making excuses for them, but I know Jade isn't like that. Beck…Beck's pushy."

"Yeah, do you even know what Trina said your father found out about him and a past girlfriend?"

"I do…now…and it's unacceptable for me. I know Andre strikes his grandma too, now, and that's also not acceptable." She clenched her eyes shut and let loose the tears she'd been holding back. "I've done stupid things, things I know Dad and Trina wouldn't approve of. I've never, you know, I'm still a virgin sure but I've given Andre-"

"Enough of that." Courtney reached over and hugged her, taking her by surprise and silencing her. "As long as you're working on it, it'll be okay. Just try not to put everyone you care about off. Okay? Don't abandon your friends either, unless you feel like you have to break it off for whatever reasons."

"I know I'm not comfortable with Beck's or Andre's past, so I'm not sure what I'm going to say to them. They're going through hell right now, so when they wake up, I'm not sure…I don't want to fake a friendship just because I feel pity for them."

"Yet you became fake because of them, forgot who you were and started disrespecting your family. Don't get me wrong, they seem like great people and all, but I'd rather have a real friend rather than a porcelain doll, if you catch my drift."

"I do, I understand."

They carried their empty food trays to the trash bin, then headed out to the car. "So what finally got you to your senses?" Sinjin opened the back door for his sister while Tori walked around to the other side.

She waited until they were driving to say anything at all. It pained her to remember what she went through while asleep, but she was willing to talk about it. "Grandma Abigail showed me the path I was heading on. Trina was put into a coma by Beck and Andre, and Dad sent me to London. I became like mom to the point that my own children hated me. I…died alone. The only people at my wedding were there because they _had_ to be."

"Sounds pretty grim, doesn't it."

"Yeah. And Sinjin? You and Mr. Sikowitz hated my guts because I caused Trina to be put into a coma." Sinjin looked to the rearview mirror as Trina shrank back. "Apparently Trina warned me and I told them, so they beat her up so their pasts wouldn't get out. She never woke up, she died, and Dad died a few years later."

"Lovely. I always knew I never liked those two. So that was just a dream, right?"

"N-No…"

"Er-what?" Sinjin raised an eyebrow and Tori cringed. "I'm pretty sure if one of those two put her in a coma or were responsible for her death, I'd kill them."

"Hence why I think Beck and Andre were safe in there. It was apparently a very probable future…"

"True," Abigail remarked, "A future where if she did not change her ways it would happen. Of course many futures are possible. It's also likely Beck won't survive his Hell." Tori gasped and Sinjin slowly popped his jaw. "I'm not sure exactly what's happening to him, but I know it's not good."

"He's being tortured as far as I can tell," Bonnie answered. "The closest I could get was the door of his mind, if you can think of it that way. I heard him pleading, screaming with the devil. There was a name I heard mentioned. The name Ross." Suddenly the car screeched to a halt and everyone lurched forward. Tori lifted her head and raised her eyebrows. Sinjin was gripping the wheel and glaring directly out.

"Ross was one of Trina's last boyfriends," Tori replied softly. "Trina took that breakup pretty hard, I remember. She was crying a lot, but over the years she's moved on from it." Sinjin scoffed and closed his eyes.

"You were thirteen when she dated him, Tori. If you think she was upset over the breakup, then leave it at that." He started the car up slowly, his expression firm and angry. Tori was spooked but from his expression, she knew better than to ask. "Grandma Bonnie, if you could hear what was going on, why was _his_ name mentioned?"

"The devil," Bonnie answered, "The devil was using him to torture Beck, I think. I don't know. I heard him scream that he wasn't like him. That was it."

"We will leave it at that then." He started up the car and sped down the fast lane of the highway.

Hours passed before they entered into New Austin. Tori felt a tension from the land as their car passed over the soft dirt. Bonnie and Abigail immediately recognized the land and pointed them in the direction of the MacFarlane ranch. "So why are we going to the ranch?" Tori asked.

"It will be a good place to settle," Sinjin replied, "I have to check the car anyway." They passed many men on horseback, and several towns, startling everyone who saw them. "Tori, Courtney, do either of your phones work out here?"

Tori checked her phone and tapped it when she saw the 'no signal' sign come on. Courtney shook her head and Tori groaned. "Sorry Sinjin. No signal."

"I think John could fix that somehow," Abigail suggested, "I don't really know how. He's more in tune with the growing world than I am, so I don't have technical capability like him." Bonnie hung her arm out of the window and moved her hands into her hair.

"He's been Trina's spirit guardian for years after he was looking over David, right? So I guess he's just developed that power."

"John's the stronger ghost because he's been the family guardian, simple as that. I've been in the spirit realm, you've been in the spirit realm, John's been out and about developing abilities. I'm a bit jealous, really." Bonnie lifted her head up and pointed. "Turn right here!"

"All right." Sinjin turned the car and Tori grinned as they passed through a wooden fence. Standing at a stable with a bunch of horses was as well built older man with grey hair and a grey goatee. The man stared, perplexed at the car.

"Holy hell," the man walked up to the car and scratched his head at the trio. "Who are you guys?" Bonnie appeared behind him and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey daddy!" The man jumped and clutched his chest.

"Bonnie?! Oh god don't do that…You just about gave me a heart attack. Actually, I think I did…wh-how is this possible?"

"Well, I'm a ghost and I died before this land was cursed, so…yeah." Bonnie pointed to the car as Tori and the others came out. "Okay the guy is my great-great grandson, Sinjin. His sister, Courtney." Courtney waved shyly as Tori walked around the car. "And Tori Vega, the sister of his girlfriend Trina. Trina and Tori are descendents of John, Dad!" The man chuckled as Bonnie turned to the others. "Guys, this is my dad, Drew MacFarlane. The dummy that stayed behind and got trapped by a curse."

"In my defense I didn't know." Drew crossed his arms and looked mournfully at his daughter. "You're just a spirit…I wish I could hug you. It has been so long. Glad you're not trapped here, to be honest. I thought no one could leave this land, how did you get in?"

"Drove, simply. We can enter. Anyway, John's out there with his descendent. They're trying to put out the ghosts that cursed this place, so you should be free soon, Dad. I can't wait, everyone's waiting for you up in heaven." Drew smiled and reached over to hug his daughter, but stopped when he remembered the situation.

"Damn…One hundred years. That Marston can never get things done fast enough, can he…"

* * *

You should look some of these characters up, they're great the stories behind them XD. So what are your thoughts in this chapter? Tori's reconnecting and that's good.


	21. Cleansing Sepulcro

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (Cleansing Sepulcro)

"Sepulcro. Creepy place." Trina sat on the white stone border of Sepulcro and eyed all the graves. There were nearly twenty of them, including de Santa's. "I was half expecting to see six hundred and sixty-six graves, to be honest. So how are we going to burn them all? Digging graves...I mean come on. Who does this?"

"Seth."

"Besides him, Grandpa. It's going to take hours to do this." She was only halfway done with digging up the graves, and they'd been at it for a couple hours already. "I'm going to repeat myself: Those friends of Tori's better appreciate this! They're damn lucky I don't tell my sister to stop spending time with them." She was still tempted to bring it up to Tori what they'd been up to in the past, but she was anxious in regards to what they could potentially do in their anger if she brought anything up at all.

"Well you've already got de Santa's grave dug up. What do you say we go ahead and get him dealt with now so we don't have to worry."

"You just want to hogtie him and make him talk, don't you."

"Pretty much." She let out a small sigh and pulled her pack over to de Santa's grave. John grinned as she poured the holy oil onto the old bones. This grave was different than Williamson's in the sense that there was no volatile stench erupting. "Plus I didn't shoot him last time, I let the rebels do that. This time, I will shoot him."

"Aw and here I was planning on sending him back to hell myself." She pulled out a match and threw it into de Santa's grave. She stepped back as fire erupted from the bones. "Here we go, Gramps, get ready." The earth began to tremble at her feet and she started to stumble. Thinking fast, she grabbed Shadow's saddle before falling into the burning hole. "What the! There are no earthquakes here!"

"It's no earthquake…" He was staring past her with wide eyes. She looked over her shoulder and saw a dark brown Clydesdale racing from the skies with de Santa sitting on top. The hooves burned with an odd brown greenish-brown tint. The second de Santa landed, a violent wave shot out over the earth.

"How dare you burn my bones, Marston!" De Santa glanced at the already open graves and started to smirk. "I see what you're trying to do." He extended his hand, and the dirt on the ground began to slide back into the graves. Trina screamed out in irritation and protest.

"I spent hours, don't cover them up!" The man started to laugh as Trina reached for her shovel. It wouldn't do her a whole lot of good, but at the very least, she could attempt to stop his power. "Damn it, how come he had to control the earth?"

"When you're the one controlling the other ghosts in a cemetery, you choose the power that's going to cover the graves." The man's face grew sinister as his fingers flexed inwards. "That is not all that I can do with the earth. Controlling the earth means controlling minerals. Allow me to turn this dirt into something more…solid…"

"Oh hell no!" The dirt began to turn grey, as if he were making it into stone. Angrily she charged for him. His hears reared back and slammed down on the ground, causing another tremor that brought her to her hands and knees. "Damn it!"

"I can make a deal with you. I'll send my ghosts only to one if you tell me which one of your sister's friends is the descendent of Abraham." She scowled, anger flashed in her eyes as de Santa smirked in return. "Is it that Beck boy? I know you don't seem to care much for him. What loss is it if I take his life? I'll leave the rest alone if you just tell me."

"Go to hell."

"Aw what's the problem? And I've been there once already, nice place."

"Then why don't I do you a favor and send you_ back?!"_ She pushed herself up and threw her hand towards him, pointing her fingers outwards. De Santa raised his palm up and closed his fingers. Instantly the dirt rose up and formed a cage around her. She grabbed at the brown bars and found them surprisingly solid. "Damn it!"

"Now how hard is it to make a deal? Why would you protect Beck?"

"It's not that I'm protecting any of them, it's just that they're my sister's friends. If anything, I can't let them die if I have control."

"Well it would appear you're not in much of a position to worry about those people." She saw her grandfather appear behind de Santa with his a lasso and smirked at the evil ghost. "Let me finish what I was doing, then I'll deal with you."

"I don't know if you'll get the chance."

"Oh? And why is that?" As if on cue, John's lasso wrapped around de Santa and yanked him off. He screamed out as John hogtied him. "No!"

"Remember me?" John pointed his gun at the demon horse and fired, killing it. As the horse collapsed and disappeared, the cage returned to its dirt form. Trina groaned as dirt fell into her mouth.

"Warn me next time, please Grandpa?" She walked over to the now struggling ghost and leaned over him. "What are you going to do now without your horse? You're just another ghost with no abilities now."

"No! No, no, no!" de Santa screamed in vain as John began to laugh.

"Déjà vu, is it not?" The ghost flashed a menacing growl at the two of them. "Now de Santa, I want you to tell us anything you know about the other ghosts. For instance, where is Javier Escuella? I promise if you give him over to us, I won't hit you as much as I will if you don't…"

"Screw you!"

"I was afraid that would happen. Tisk-tisk. When are you going to learn, Santa, evil doesn't pay off. Trina, go ahead and start digging the graves again, I'll get him talking soon enough."

It was about another hour before de Santa finally broke his silence, which was stressful in its own right since the man had to be constantly struck by John before anything happened. Trina was able to dig several of the graves, about seven out of nineteen so far, so she was grateful for the time.

"Javier Escuella is buried in Sidewinder Gulch! Jesus! He is buried in those windy cliffs!"

"See? Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" De Santa growled at the man as Trina walked over, amused and thrilled that they had the possible location of another ghost.

"Do you know where in Sidewinder Gulch?"

"Not exactly, I think it's somewhere in the middle."

"That's okay," John pounded a fist into his palm and wagged his eyebrows. "Now that I know the location, I can scan for buried bones. We'll find him. Thank you for all the help de Santa."

"Screw you Mr. Marston! Screw you!"

"Sorry, I don't swing that way." John looked to Trina for input. "What do you think? Should I use the_ Oblivion_, or do you want to use your gloves to send him back to hell? All you have to do is reach in and crush his dark little heart."

"I'm not sure," Trina didn't feel like killing, to be completely honest. She much preferred self defense. "I think you better handle this one."

"All right, fair enough." John clicked his gun back and aimed it at the back of de Santa's head. The man's eyes widened as he looked up.

"Ai wait! What is that? What are you doing!"

"Unfortunately for you de Santa, this gun will send you to Oblivion. A dark hell for evil ghosts like you. I want to know, however, what part of this region are you in charge of?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not, since we'll be freeing everyone you've trapped in here. I was just curious to see which region's going to go the fastest. Either way, we'll find out. Allende's next." De Santa cried out in anger. When John pulled the trigger, the man's body jerked and his head crashed into the ground. Trina shook her head and returned to the graves.

"I think we should burn as we go, Grandpa. Just in case."

"Yeah. Do we have enough holy oil?"

"I'm finding out a little goes a long way, so yes, I think we have plenty." As de Santa's ghostly body vanished, Trina couldn't feel the sense of calm that she did in Rio Bravo. Concerned, she looked up to the skies and frowned. "I don't think he was in charge of the Perdido region. It still feels tense and controlled here."

"Then de Santa must have held his control elsewhere. He's one less dark spirit to worry about, so that's a positive."

"Yeah."

Within the hour all the graves of Sepulcro were open and burning. Trina stood outside the cemetery with John, watching as the smoke rose up to form a thick black cloud in the sky. It left a bittersweet feeling inside her. On one hand she was happy that she did the right thing, because this would save the friends from the pits of hell, but at the same time, it meant she just allowed them to influence her sister some more whenever they awoke.

"How do you feel Trina?"

"How do I feel? I have mixed emotions. I guess when it all comes down to it, I'm happy that I did the right thing. I…hope it was the right thing."

Jade, Andre, Cat, and Robbie all felt the same feeling in each of their personal hells, and that was a rush of cosmic energy. Their demons vanished away, leaving them standing in open wasteland. They were hurt, wounded, hungry, bloody and scarred. At the same time, they were simply tired of running. Each of them had almost succumbed, almost died, but somehow they managed to survive. They could tend to their wounds within their nightmares.

Beck's situation was a bit different. He didn't feel the same rush as the others, he still felt a powerful grip on him. "My time is limited," the devil spoke while still in Ross's form. Beck looked up to him, speechless. His body was covered in blood, cuts, gunshot wounds and various other types of wounds.

Whenever he breathed, he felt a rattle in his chest. When he moved his body, he could practically feel himself ripping. Ross put his hand to Beck's forehead and started to laugh. "Oh don't worry young one, you'll wake when you wake, and I will vanish away soon. Aside from you waking, I promise nothing. Before I go there is one thing I must ensure before I allow anything."

"W-What? Please…"

"Change your ways Beck Oliver, unless you wish to become like the person you see before you."

"I told you. I will never…_ever_ become…like that!"

"A good answer my friend."

"We are not friends. Go to hell!"

"You forget who you speak to."

"I don't care! I don't care…" The man laughed as his body began to flicker.

"Remember this, Oliver. Trina Vega has just saved your life, as well as the others."

"What?"

"You heard me…" Beck's heart pounded erratically in his chest as the man vanished away. He was left to his thoughts, nervous and confused, but frightened. All he could do was bleed. He was still dying.

Beck tilted his head back, weeping bitterly as he cried out in the silence. "Somebody help me! P-P-Please!"

* * *

The cemetery has been cleansed and the friends are, somewhat free. Though Beck's wounds are great, there still remains one more thing to be done in order to keep him from dying at the moment. Well what did you think of the chapter? Trina and her grandfather do have good chemistry.


	22. Love that Wild Thing

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (Love the Wild Thing)

Sinjin tried once more and failed to break in a horse as His great-great-great grandfather Drew was trying to show him. Courtney and Trina watched in amusement from the outside of the pin as Sinjin was sent screaming off the large horse. He pushed himself from the ground moaning softly. "I think I prefer driving a car to this. Damn!"

"Come on boy, get back up on that horse and try again!" Drew exclaimed. "If you can tame old Boxer, then I'm going to be a proud man to call you a MacFarlane's blood." Sinjin cracked his neck and climbed back onto the black Clydesdale. It was as though this horse was dead set on not being tamed.

"I cannot believe in a hundred years you've not tamed this horse yet! Are you sure his name is boxer and not Devil?" The horse whinnied once more and began bucking violently. Sinjin grabbed the black mane with one hand and started screaming as his body flailed like a reed in the wind. "This isn't right!"

"Boy, learn to ride! I need someone to accompany me to Armadillo. If you can tame him, I'll let you call him whatever you like."

"Good to know! Cause Devil seems to work! Tasmanian Devil might fit more."

"You can do it. You're a MacFarlane, and if you're datin' a Marston, then you better know how to ride that damn horse!" Tori laughed while Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Them Marston's are wild! Wild I tell you!"

"Don't I know that's the truth." He sighed as he recalled all the crazy as hell moments he and Trina had been through over the years. "All right then." One of the first things they ever did together was when she was thirteen and dragged him off to a theme park. The first thing she did was get him on the fastest, curviest ride there was. He came out nearly puking. That was the start of many wild and crazy adventures. Love, it makes one do crazy things, and Sinjin definitely loved the wild and crazy. He leaned forward, still holding on tight to the bucking horse, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "All right. There's an ancient greet word I'm thinking of, and it suits a name. From now on, you are _Agápe."_

The horse flared its nostrils and began to settle, whinnying as it did so. Impressed, Sinjin pat the horse on the neck and grinned. "There, that's a good Agápe. See you're nor not so bad, you just need someone to show you a little love, right? Cheesy as shit, I know, but it works."

"Well I'll be damned, you did it boy!" Drew cheered as Tori and Courtney laughed. "You truly are a MacFarlane. Now tell me, this beauty of yours, have you met her father?" Sinjin guided his newly christened horse towards the fence and raised an eyebrow.

"I've known her and her sister for years, so yes sir, I do indeed know her father."

"And he approves of you?"

"Approves of me more than he does most men that come around his daughters."

"Good!"

"He's trustworthy," Tori added. "If anything, I'm the one that's in trouble. When he and Trina find out what I've done…I'll be grounded for life." An understatement no doubt, but he was sure David and Trina would be more than forgiving of her. "So why don't you guys just drive the car out to Armadillo?"

"One of two reasons Tori." He held up two fingers and closed his eyes. "One, I want that car to take a break since I'll have to drive it back to California and calibrate everything in the engine and whatnot. Then there's the fact that no one in Armadillo drives cars. You saw the way they were looking at us when we drove by. Plus, there's a horse range out in LA that I'm inspired to take Trina to, if I can learn to ride well enough, then we can have a race around the track and so on."

"Okay, so what about Courtney and myself? Do we just sit here and wait for you two to get back?" That was the unfortunate case, but he figured it would be better than their getting into some sort of danger and he didn't know where they were. He started to speak, but Drew cut him off, answering for him.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure how these people in Armadillo will take two grown and independent women wearing jeans and shirts that reveal a great majority of your arms." Sinjin winced as the two girls exchange upset glances. "There is especially one particular bigot in Armadillo that I'd worry about. Herbert Moon, goes on about how Jews and Catholics are bad, and how women should be put in their place and be submissive."

Sinjin scrunched his nose and looked off at the dirt path. "I'd hate to see Trina getting mixed up with that guy. Sure wouldn't end well." Drew walked into the pen and grabbed one of the nearby horses. "So what are we going into town for?"

"Supplies. Supplies are scarce these days. I just try to keep up the daily routine to keep me from going out of my mind. Let's get moving while we have the time. Your sister and Tori will be fine here. They have Bonnie and Abigail here, and the farmhands are good people."

"All right then."

After they set off and had been riding for a while, Drew decided to start talking. "So what are the times like out there? Women ever get the respect they deserve? I know my Bonnie was always independent in life. I just about lost it when she passed, I buried five sons and one moved to New York."

"Yeah, women got the right to vote in 1920. Education's on the rise, the economy's kind of flatlining but it always seems to be. The country went into a great depression in the 1930s after the stock market crash in 1929." Drew clicked his tongue and shook his head.

"Well. Your sister and Tori seem like two level headed girls, I'm glad women are respected. They ought to be. "I can't tell you how many times I wanted to punch that Herbert Moon out when I would go into town. It sure takes a lot of restraint not to put a boot where the sun don't shine."

"He sounds like a pretty ill hearted old man."

"They say it's the old timers that don't know how to get with the picture, but I'm old and I understand these important things."

"I think it's more a matter of wanting to get with the picture."

"Most likely. Tell me how long have you and Trina been dating?"

"Officially, A little over a month actually, and closer to two months. We've known each other for years and developed feelings for each other when she was sixteen. She wasn't ready to date anyone then, and I was lettin her wait until she was ready. There was a certain thing that happened, she didn't want to date me immediately after. I didn't know this into a couple years later, but yeah."

"So I'm confused, you two have only just a relationship a couple months ago and put off a relationship for four or five years now?"

"Pretty much. Her last major boyfriend she had was at fifteen, then she didn't date a single person for almost three years. She and I hung out all the time, still. She tried dating people when she was almost eighteen and had a good relationship with someone for a month or two before it ended. He went to college somewhere else and she started focusing on her studies. Then I took a semester off from working as a teacher's assistant and did some studying abroad for a while. She looked after Courtney during that time. When I came back, she asked me when a good time would be that we could get together."

"So it sounds like you both waited for each other, or you waited for her?"

"She was going through some rough patches and some of the guys she dated, she said were practice to get back in the whole thing. She's a strong woman, and I admire her for everything she's done to rise up the way she has. There are still things we don't do."

"Such as?"

"Well if we cuddle, say sit together on the fireplace, we don't lie together in bed. That is not an area to cuddle up at all. She says that she absolutely refuses to sleep on the right side of a bed."

"What happened to make her that way?"'

"I'm really not at liberty to say. I just thought I'd explain a little of why it took so long for us to actually get together."

"I understand. Armadillo's up ahead." Sinjin smiled as they came upon the town. They crossed over railroad tracks, and he had to wonder if the train still came around.

"Hey. How has this land not gone to hell or chaos."

"I think it has to do with the poor spirits everyone has. No one has the energy for anarchy. No one has the energy to rule, and everyone's been looking for a savior, if you will. Sounds to me like your beloved is that person."

"Trina and I will joke about the Ghostbusters for years to come." Sinjin laughed while Drew gave him a strange look. He dismissed it with a wave and sighed. "Don't worry about it Grandpa MacFarlane, it's long after your time."

"Debatable, Sinjin, debatable." They stopped near the general store and saw the Marshall standing nearby. Marshall Johnson waved at Drew and grinned from ear to ear. In fact, everyone in town seemed to be in relatively good spirits.

"Mr. MacFarlane, it's good to see you in town. Herbert Moon is in the prison cell right now, so if there's anything you need from the general store, I'll help you out."  
"Thanks Marshall. I'm surprised to see everyone in good spirits What's going on?"

"A couple days ago John Marston returned to us with his grandchild, they're clearing the land." Sinjin's jaw dropped and he immediately looked around town, wondering if Trina was here.

"Is she here?" He asked. Marshall Johnson frowned and he despaired. "Do you know where she is?"

"She left town a couple nights ago, I am not sure where she's at now. I'm sorry about that. I'm Marshall Johnson, sir, and you are?"

"Sinjin. Sinjin Van Cleef-Mr. MacFarlane's great-great-great grandson. Trina's boyfriend."

"Ah! Without even being here, you're talked about somewhat. People in town were wondering what you were like. Suffice to say, that Herbert had a few choice words he'd describe you as."

"Why's that?"

"He said a few obscene remarks to your girlfriend and she lost control." He was stunned by this news. It would take a lot for her to lose control. This meant Herbert Moon struck a particular chord in her. Sinjin was angered by this and wanted to find her to make sure even more that she was okay. "The people at the saloon carted him over to the cell and I've left him there. They gave her a few tips one card games, such as poker."

"Ah, there's some good things right there, now she can manage to play with Tori and Tori's friends." He folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I guess we're here to pick up a few supplies, then be on our way. If you do see Trina, could you let us know."

"Will do." They had a long busy day of errands ahead of them. It was all right since. Hopefully after this they could start looking for potential clues in finding Trina around here somewhere. He had to let her know her sister was alive and well. Hopefully soon they'd see each other soon.

* * *

What do you think?


	23. Determined Race

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 23 (Determined Race)

"We have another issue," John flashed next to Trina and Shadow as they walked towards El Presidio. "I checked on your sister's friends, they're all doing fine except Beck." She felt a strain of concern and peered down at him curiously. "I can't get fully in to see what his situation is, but I was able to communicate with him. He was strapped to a table, bloody and tortured to the point of dying. He is dying, swears he'll change his ways if he survives…"

"Who? Who did that to him?" John's hesitation was irritating to her. Was he holding back for a particular reason? "Grandpa, if there's anything you know that I don't, _tell me_." He looked away and muttered something about not wanting to upset her. She tugged on Shadow's reigns, getting the horse to stop. John looked up at her with concern. "Grandpa, there isn't a whole lot I can't handle. Don't hold back, who was torturing Beck and why would you worry about it upsetting me?"

"It was the devil, using you ex's form."

"Which ex? Cause I dated a few people..."

"...Ross..." Trina's stomach clenched and anger started to rise up as she closed her eyes. How dare _anyone_ use her ex on one of those people. This disturbed her greatly, shocked her even. "It was to get the message through that if Beck didn't cease his womanizing actions, he could be on the same path as that man." Her breathing grew shallow and her forehead creased as her face tensed for a split second.

"Does Beck know…what happened to me, then?"

"I asked if he knew what the man did in life. He said he did ask, but he would not say. I think it was because it really wasn't that man, it was just the devil in that man's form."

"Maybe." She took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. Her body was tense, but stable. This wasn't something she couldn't deal with. It was difficult to hear, and she was sorry that Beck had to go through that. Thankfully the devil didn't give anything away about her, but Beck _had_ seen Ross in passing. Was there risk of him putting the pieces together? She didn't want anyone to know what happened, she was terrified of what people would think of her, and Beck was the _last_ person she wanted judging her on that matter. "Why can't you get in and help him? You say he's dying in there, that he can't tend to whatever wounds he had. Why can't you help him then?"

"Because I can't get in. I don't know if it's something the devil did or not. I know that maybe someone with his blood can get in…someone like Abraham…"

"Abraham is stuck here." Though Abraham would be the perfect person to talk to Beck, even. The man had learned how to control his womanizing ways, so he could teach Beck a thing or two. "What good would sending him in do, Grandpa?"

"He could tend to those wounds that are killing Beck. We have to free Abraham, we need to free Nuevo Paraíso."

"We don't know what ghosts control it." They could force it out of Allende, it was possible, but it could very well be difficult.

"Well I did what you suggested and looked to the regions clearing up, and Punta Orgullo is cleared. At the same time, all of Nuevo Paraíso feels less tense as it was. I think de Santa was one of the ghosts holding onto it."

"Okay. Well we'll find out when we catch Allende. Jack always said the stories were that he was a coward in life, so maybe…just maybe…we can use that to our advantage. We need to also get Abraham and let him know."

She tapped her heels into Shadow's sides and called out, signaling the horse to break into a run for El Presidio. She swallowed hard and cleared away the tension in her upper chest. _It wasn't him torturing Beck._ She had to keep reminding herself that Beck's torturer was someone else using her ex's form, but it didn't make things any less terrible. To Beck himself, it would have been that man. "Grandpa, thank you for telling me the truth."

"No problem," answered John's disembodied voice.

"Please don't ever not tell me something because you're afraid of how I'm going to handle it. I can take the truth if you just tell me the truth." Ross couldn't hurt anyone anymore, and the fact that he was used to do exactly that, was something that pissed Trina off tremendously. "Maybe there was another way to get Beck to change his ways, why was Ross chosen, do you know?"

"Because he was Beck's 'end result'. He was the path that Beck was on, he's been on the path. I think the Devil was showing him the man that Beck was going to become. There's no other way to change someone on an unredeemable path than to show them a person or a thing that is no longer able to be redeemed. A monster, a demon. If Beck wakes up with the wounds he has, he will most certainly die. If we can get someone in there to tend to those wounds, maybe we can change his fate."

"I won't let him die! It wasn't fair what happened to him, what happened to _me_. For someone to use my attacker on someone else, _anyone_ else, even if it is Beck, that's something I cannot forgive. I won't let Beck die because of that monster."

When they made it to the El Presidio, they did find a broken statue of Allende behind the building. On it was inscribed _Colonel Agustin Allende-buried here Spring of 1911._ Trina hopped off Shadow and grabbed the shovel.

Within minutes, she dug enough to locate the casket with a hole inside of it. Exhausted and angry, she poured the holy oil through the hole, then sent a match into the box, igniting it into flames. "Time to send this man back to Hell and find out who controls Nuevo Paraíso." Her chest heaved as the sun began to brighten and a blinding light swept over the land. All Trina could see was white light all around her. "So Allende controls light does he? I can't see anything. Grandpa, can you see anything?" She could hear a horse galloping nearby. Trina narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists.

"He's on a white steed, riding directly for you from the right! The horse stands at about your height."

"Shoot the horse, Grandpa. On second thought…" The galloping came closer. She turned sideways and swept her leg high through the air, making a connection with hardened flesh. A man screamed out and a loud thumping noise echoed through the air. Three shots rang out and a second, heavier body, slammed onto the ground.

The light dissipated and Trina found herself staring at the body of a white horse. A couple feet away was Allende, crawling away. "I don't think so, _Colonel._" She rushed towards him and reached down, curling her fingers into his shirt collar and yanking him up off the ground. The man screamed out in terror as she glared into his eyes. "You're going to tell me what I want to know, got it?"

"I tell you nothing!"

"You tell me who controls Nuevo Paraíso, and you're going to tell me _now_."

"No!"

"Not an answer." She slammed her fist into his stomach, causing him to double over and collapse down to the ground. Trina held up her gloved hand and smirked dangerously. "See these? Yeah they're what allows me to make contact with you. I can hit you, or I can do this…"

"Wha-" He screamed as she sent her hand through his body and pulled out one of his two kidneys.

"I want to know who controls Nuevo Paraíso. Then I want info on my father."

"Again! I tell you nothing!" She connected a fist with his jaw. As the man screamed out, she heard the cracking of bone from his body. Allende pulled a gun out and aimed it for her, "You die now, bitch."

"What the hell is with you people calling me that? Seriously? You think it's going to bother me?" She grabbed his wrist, pressing her thumb into the palm of his hand and forcing him to drop the gun. She picked it up and jammed it into his thigh. "Tell me what I want to know _now_. Got it?"

"All right, all right, fine! De Santa and Escuella! They hold the keys to Nuevo Paraíso! That's all I know! Your father? I know where your father is."

"Then tell me."

"Es Muerta!" Trina froze, then reached down for Allende's neck, clenching her hand around him.

"You better be lying! You better be fucking lying about my dad!" Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her father dead and beaten. Allende started laughing as Trina tensed and growled vehemently She could tell by the tone this man was just trying to get to her, trying to work her emotions. She dropped him to the ground and turned her back to him, stepping beside John. "He's not going to tell me a damned thing about my father. If I kill him now, it just means he wins."

"Then don't be the one that does it." John cocked his gun and Allende's eyes widened. "Start heading back for Escalera. We'll find Abraham and head to Sidewinder. Stop in Chuparosa for the night."

"All right. When will you be back?"

"As soon as I've confirmed the region that Allende releases from his grip."

"Okay." As she rode off, she heard Allende admit that he didn't know where Mr. Vega was. The man could be anywhere in one of the three main areas, guarded not by ghosts, but demons. One of the cemeteries in the three areas.

Trina clicked her tongue and as Shadow picked up speed. Her father wasn't in Sepulcro, and he hadn't been locked up in Tumbleweed's cemetery. That left either the cemetery in the town of Blackwater, the Coot's Chapel cemetery, or Odd Fellow's Rest.

Allende's words fit one of the recent dreams she'd had of her father. Trapped in a wooden casket filled with holes, resting atop the dry and cracked ground. He was screaming out in terror as demons danced around him playing festive music.

A distant gunshot rang aloud and Trina closed her eyes, shaking her head as she had Shadow pick up speed.

Chuparosa was only a couple hours of a ride. When she entered the town, no one batted so much as an eye, which she was more than happy about. She managed to find a room she could stay in, it had a clean shower available and she needed a shower.

As she searched around for a towel, John appeared in the room. She looked up to him with a subtle smile. "How you holding up?" John asked as he walked around.

"I'm angry that I can't find a decent towel in this room. I need a shower."

"I mean after Allende."

"I'm fine. Why should it matter? Now where's a towel?" John snapped his fingers and pointed to a nearby wardrobe cabinet. She opened the wardrobe and chuckled as two fresh, neatly folded blue towels rested on the top shelf. "Thanks. We're going to get out first thing tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah. By the way. The Great Plains region and all the area around West Elizabeth lost a majority of the animals. I think that's a sign Allende was controlling that front. Which means Diez Corona is in someone else's region."

"So what happens when we clear Nuevo Paraíso?"

"The entire land will be free down here in Mexico. Even those living in the Diez Corona region, however that region will still be held. I imagine it means the animals won't be able to leave. Complex stuff, really."

"All right. Fine. So first thing tomorrow we head out to Escalera, get Abraham and inform him about Beck, then take out Javier Escuella. I won't rest until I find my father…alive."

Trina stood at the window overlooking the town of Chuparosa. Her eyes drifted towards the starry sky and her heart filled with determination. "Mantente fuerte, te encontraré, papa…"

* * *

You surprised me when you said seeing Abraham may help Beck, it's like you saw my plans XD


	24. Younger Sibling Duo

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (The Younger Sibling Duo)

Tori paced the gates of the MacFarlane ranch the next morning, she was waiting anxiously for Sinjin and Drew to return. She wanted to go explore a little, but respected that Sinjin wanted to know if she or Courtney were leaving to go anywhere so he could know to go looking when they didn't return. "Where did they go?" She couldn't stand all this waiting around for them to return or to find Trina.

"Tori?" Courtney walked up to her and looked around the ranch. "Sinjin did say he didn't care if we went out to explore, so long as we don't go so far off that we get lost."

"I know." That was the primary concern, not any other ill found reason. He just didn't want them getting lost in a land so giant that they wouldn't be found. "I really just want to know if they found Trina yet. I know they haven't, I just…I can't help but think she's out there, somewhere, doing all she can to find Dad and to help the others…and we're all just sitting ducks here. What if Trina needs our help, Courtney? What if she's in trouble?"

"I don't know, your sister's always been able to take care of herself as long as I've known her. I think maybe you just miss her."

"Yeah, and she's stuck thinking I hate her guts. The minute she saves Dad, they'll probably send me to London with Mom!" It was her worst nightmare, she couldn't imagine anything so terrible. "It's not that I hate mom or anything like that, I don't, I just think she doesn't treat dad fairly. She's always neglected us…If something happens to Dad, then we'll be forced to live with Mom!"

"No you won't. You're eighteen now, Trina's twenty. Sinjin's twenty-one. If Trina weren't one to take care of you, Sinjin would probably try and talk her into it. Even if neither of them felt like it, being eighteen means you can take care of yourself."

"I can't. I want to go to college, Courtney." They walked to the horses pen. Sometime last night all the animals on the ranch disappeared, so Bonnie and Abigail were able to bring back the spirits of some of the horses so they could ride.

Once the girls got on the horses, Bonnie and Abigail appeared before them. "You girls heading off to do some exploring?" Tori nodded and the women smiled tenderly. "Want us to let Sinjin and Papa Drew know so they won't worry whenever they get back?"

"Yes please."

"All right, we will. When do you think you girls will be back?"

"Not sure. We'll not be long." The women nodded as Tori and Courtney started to head out of the ranch. They had the horses in a slow gallop, not wanting to go too fast since neither had really ridden on horses before. Courtney laughed as Tori flashed a grin in the breeze. "This is amazing, isn't it Courtney?"

"Yeah!" Courtney looked down at her horse and reached down to hug it's neck. Tori almost shouted for her to be careful, she didn't want to see her friend falling off because she wasn't holding onto the reigns. Of course, Courtney sat back up and grabbed them before falling. "What can I say? I love horses. I want to be a veterinarian some day."

"Still? That was what you wanted to be as a girl."

"Yeah, there's nothing better than working with animals. What did you want to be, Tori? A singer?" That was what _Victoria Harris_ wanted to be. That had been Tori's goal after admission into Hollywood Arts. Now, upon further thought, she didn't know if it was truly what she wanted to do.

"I don't know. I'm not so big on the idea of singing anymore. That life isn't for me, I think. How old were we when we first met? Eight?"

"Yes." Courtney laughed as a distant memory came to their mind. "Trina and Sinjin were going to the community park down the street and we just _had_ to go with them. Remember?"

"Yes, I begged the hell out of my sister to take me. We showed up at the park and you guys were there."

"Annoying little sisters for the win?" Courtney extended a closed hand and Tori laughed, bumping her fist up against Courtney's. They played on the swing set together the entire day, overlooking their elder siblings who were sitting together at the top of the tall jungle gym. "You remember when they decided to visit that haunted house? I think Sinjin was twelve or thirteen."

"Thirteen, cause Trina was twelve, and yes I remember. We tagged along and scared them out of that house." The girls snickered at the memory. They ruined their mothers' flour cabinets to roll around and bought masks at the nearby costume shop and followed their siblings to the house. Trina was already frightened just going in it, while Sinjin was eager to learn the history of it.

When the younger duo entered, they mimicked the twin girls in The Shining, and controlled the environment with strange noises until their elder siblings went flying for the door. They found both Sinjin and Trina hugging each other on the front lawn. When realizing what their little sisters had done, they proceeded to chase their siblings all the way home.

"We had a lot of fun growing up, didn't we, Courtney?"

"Hell yeah. You remember back when we were kids, we always wanted to get a job together when we were older?"

"I remember, I did want to work with animals too. Maybe we could be like veterinarians or open up a kennel."

"That would be great, or do your friends want to form some sort of band together?"

Tori looked to the sky as Courtney gazed ahead. It was strange, the girl still sounded hurt. It might take a while for her to completely get over what happened between them, and she understood that. "I don't know, but you know what?" A smile stretched out on her face as she looked over to Courtney. The girl glanced at her with a crooked smile. "You're still my best friend. My oldest, and truest friend. I won't let anything get in the way of that again, and nothing will change it. My other friends? They'll have to accept you and my family."

"Aw. I'd hug you but I'm a little afraid I'll fall off my horse." Courtney's lips turned into a bright smile. "But you're still my best friend too. You see, I knew you'd come around eventually…that whole singer-diva thing just isn't you. That's never _been_ you. Why on earth would it ever be you?"

"I don't know Courtney. I don't know what came over me. I'm scared it'll be too late, though. I don't want to lose my daddy, I don't want to lose my sister." Fear struck her heart and soon her eyes began to burn with tears. "I don't want to live with momma! I hate London, I hate England, and I never ever want to go over there!" She pounded her leg and Courtney slowly reached over, cupping her hand over Tori's.

"It's okay, Tori. I won't let them do that. Besides…" Courtney smirked and Tori glanced over timidly. "I would laugh if I saw you sipping tea and eating scones. So England's out. How are we going to open up a kennel and become veterinarians if you're living all the way across the globe?" She chuckled and wiped her eyes.

"Sorry. I guess I did kind dig myself into a hole."

"Well now you just need to climb out of it. Everyone makes mistakes, Tori."

"My dad thinks he's failed as a father, and I _know_ that's just my mom talking through him. She's got him thinking he's a failure because I turned into some disrespectful disgrace. He's not! That's bullshit! He's the best daddy in the world, and now he might be dying because a bunch of ghosts want revenge."

"I know you're scared, but it's going to be okay. Your sister's out there finding the ghosts, my brother's doing what he can to help people stuck in the towns, to calm them down…everyone's doing the best they can."

"And us? Where's our part in all this?" She brushed her fingers through her hair and chuckled vainly. "Or are we just the little annoying sisters who might get in the way?"

"Well hey, if that's our role, then at least we're doing it as the duo once again!" The girls began laughing, not ceasing until they heard strange festive music coming from nearby. Courtney stopped and looked off into the distance. "What is that? Doesn't sound like anything you'd hear in the old west."

''How do we know what we'd hear? Hollywood's basically defined everything."

"Pretty much."

They followed the sound of the music and soon found themselves coming up onto some old cemetery beside a church. "Courtney, what is this?" There in the middle of all the graves was a long wooden casket. Several demonic creatures varying in size were dancing around the casket. Some were playing flutes, some harmonicas, and one six foot, muscular demon was playing a guitar. These demons had reddish skin and were clad in fiery clothing.

Their presence instilled a great fear in Tori's heart. She studied the casket while monitoring the deep pounding of her heart. There was someone in there, she could feel it. The music was drowning something out.

Near the casket were two empty ones, waiting to be bolted shut. Tori began trembling as sweat fell from her body and drenched her clothes. "Something is dreadfully wrong here. I feel it…"

"Wait!" A voice cried. Just then a strange and frail man jumped in front of them, waving his hands for them to stop. Tori's eyes widened and Courtney stared, frozen as the man put a finger to his lips and looked back at the demons. "Don't go any closer unless you want them coming after you. They're looking for the Marston family. Once all three are in, they're going to feast…"

"W-What? Who are you?"

"Seth. Seth Briars. You?"

"Tori Vega, this is my friend Courtney." Courtney waved while Seth's eyes widened.

"Vega? Vega!" The strange man started laughing as he looked back to the demons.

"Then you need to get out of here. I've seen your sister. Trina."

"You've seen her!" Tori's heart jumped with excitement and she leaned forward with pleading eyes. "Where is she? Do you know?"

"I don't know at this point. She's been looking for those ghosts, she's going to free this cursed land with the help of her grandpappy. Those demons though, they're waiting for her. The ghosts think they'll stop her and John. The demons won't feast until all three are in those caskets, and you're one of the three. David, Trina and you."

"How do you know this?"

"I've been able to hear the ghosts' plans." Tori looked over to the caskets and Courtney spoke the idea that was on everyone's minds.

"You don't think Mr. Vega's in that casket…do you?"

"D-Daddy?" Tori clenched her eyes shut and calmed her quivering body. "Mr. Briars, what would it take to kill those demons?"

"Shoot 'em, shoot them all in the head! I done captured one that wandered off and I put a bullet in its head. It burned away, leaving torched ground. Of course, you have to trap them."

"Trap?"

"Have ye ever heard of the salt trick, miss?"

"Yes, putting a barrier of salt around you will keep things out, but it also keeps things in, right? That's in all the movies…"

"It works! It will trap them in their spot. Splash the ground they died on with holy water, that will keep them from potentially rising up again."

"Oh…okay…" One of the demons looked over to them and the girls gasped out. "We've been spotted!" Seth looked back and winced.

"Shit! Run! Run for it before they realize who you are!" They didn't have to be asked twice. The girls immediately turned the horses around and ran back for the MacFarlane ranch. Seth bolted in a different direction, leaving the demons confused.

When they returned, they saw Sinjin getting down from his horse while Drew was standing on his front porch. "Brother!" Courtney screamed. Sinjin looked over as the girls jumped from the horses and ran for him. Courtney threw her arms around him and Tori bent over, putting her hands to her knees and huffing.

"Are you two all right? What happened?"

"D-Demons," Tori whimpered, "Demons have my father."

* * *

So we got angels, we got devils, we got ghosts, and now we have the MacFarlane ranch people finding Mr. Vega surrounded by demons pulled from hell by the ghosts. Well aside from that, what did you think of Trina's and Courtney's talk?


	25. MacFarlane Rides Again

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (MacFarlane Rides Again)

"All right, here's what we're going to do." Sinjin pushed a rifle onto the back of Agápe's saddle and turned to the inhabitants of the MacFarlane ranch. Tori and Courtney stood next to their horses, each holding a large canteen filled with holy water from the priest on the ranch, and with large canisters of salt. Bonnie and Abigail stood nearby, overseeing everyone with proud expressions. Every ranch hand, young and old, from the newest recruit all the way to Drew himself, had a rifle and pistol in hand.

"Out there is a cemetery called Coot's Chapel, in it are demons dancing around a casket with David Vega trapped inside." Sinjin climbed onto his horse, raising his voice and speaking with a deep, commanding tone. "The priest will find the portal that is allowing these demons to come through. I'll need two or three of you on that portal, forming a choke hold and taking out any demons you see coming through!"

"I suggest pouring holy water in front of this gate allowing them to come through," The priest suggested. Sinjin thought of the idea and slowly nodded, understanding that holy water would cause demons to burn the second they stepped out of this gate. "I think pouring salt around it would also keep them at bay."

"Good, we'll go with that." Sinjin narrowed his eyes as he looked towards the farm's exit. Drew rode up beside him and smirked.

"We're always saving these Marston people aren't we?" Drew joked, recalling how he and Bonnie found John Marston near death in front of Fort Mercer. "Sinjin, keep in mind that we on the ranch cannot die. You, Tori and Courtney can." He was afraid of that, and didn't want them to be in the danger. The issue was Tori was insisting on having a hand in saving her father, and Courtney was not going to let Tori do that alone. "I guess we have to go in and rescue another one. Figures."

"The irony is, grandpa MacFarlane. Trina is the one working to lift this cursed land and letting _all_ of you cross over." Drew laughed and smacked Sinjin on the shoulder. The old man knew he'd just been one-upped. Sinjin turned towards the others and gripped the reins on his horse firmly.

"My lady is out three working to rescue her father, your land, and our hometown. We do not know if these demons are a fail safe for the ghosts, if these demons will devour Dave the second the ghosts are gone. With that being said, I _refuse_ to allow her father to die. Ghosts or no ghosts, nothing will stop us from storming that cemetery. I want every man up and center. Have some in the back, guarding us from an assault from behind or the sides. If there is a threat, dispatch it as quickly as possible and move on. Those of you who have holy water, follow quick and remember to pour it anywhere you see charred earth! Do not let there be a passage back! Play it on the safe side, drop some salt around that spot too."

He looked to Tori and Courtney and breathed in slowly. "I want someone around you two at all times. Go in there when the demons are distracted or out of the way, pour your salt and holy water around your David's casket and _stay with him!"_ Tori and Courtney nodded as Sinjin looked to the other ranch hands. "If you see someone dispatch a demon and you can follow, follow up with holy water and salt if they are unable. I will be circling the perimeter with my weapon to make sure any and every demon is down."

"Why don't we just get off the horses?" One man asked.

He'd thought of that, but it was far too dangerous. Demons were quick, fearsome, and likely to dispatch someone on foot quicker than that person would be able to. "Think of your enemy again. They're swift, they're deadly, and they probably know how to dispatch you faster than you can click that gun. If you're on horseback, they're not so easy."

Tori looked over her shoulder at the rancher, "Not to mention our horses are all spirits, they can't be killed as easily."

"And as Grandpa MacFarlane says, it takes you guys a full five minutes to come back from having been 'killed'. That's plenty of time for a pack of demons to defeat an army on foot. Also, since they're demons, we don't know how possible it is for them to destroy your soul on spot. There's too much risk involved in fighting them on foot. Also, the ones guarding the portal if you can find it, keep watch because our Priest _will_ be on foot and without weapons."

Sinjin was terrified something would go wrong, but he was more than ready for this fight. As he turned to the gate, he brushed the sweat from his brow and tightened his expression. "Don't worry Trina," he whispered, "I'm not going to let them kill your father or your sister. You take out those ghosts, we'll be waiting right here for you when you're done." Agápe reared back and the ranchers readied to run.

With massive energy, they burst from the ranch. Sinjin and Drew led the charge. Drew laughed excitedly and beat his hand into the air. "It has been some time since I've ridden like this. I'm ready."

"Grandpa, keep watch over Tori. If we're too late to save David, I worry how she'll handle that." Drew frowned and nodded at him. Sinjin wasn't sure if the man would be okay, all he knew was he was in a casket surrounded by demons waiting to tear him apart. "Also, even if he is okay and when we get back, we'll still have to be prepared."

"For what?"

"Those demons were brought here by those ghosts. They can pull demons and people straight from hell. If that's possible, they may try to get Trina's father back. We need to hold that ranch up as our stronghold. Nothing should get in."

"We found John Marston barely alive with a gunshot wound to his chest and nursed him back to health. We can do the same for David Vega. He sounds like a bit of a hero back in LA. Like John is to these lands."

"He is, just like that. Although, he's more a hero to his daughters than anyone else. They're the reason I'm so willing to lead this charge…I want to bring him home to them."

"I can understand that. A sense of duty to the ones you love, right?"

"Pretty much." They came upon the cemetery at a slow pace and Sinjin held his hand up for those behind him to stop. He narrowed his eyes upon the demons and spotted the wooden casket. "All right, they're waiting for the signal, so…" He grabbed the rifle from the back of the saddle and extended it up into the air. His finger caressed the trigger and his expression grew tense. "Ready…and-" To the right he saw Seth Briars charging in on a horse, an unexpected sight. "Shit!" Seth dove through the cemetery, screeching and shouting at the creatures.

The demons chased after Seth and Sinjin threw his hand forward. "Go, go, go! Get in there!" With that, the ranchers charged forward, guns loaded and firing. Sinjin ran around the perimeter of the cemetery as Drew led the girls directly for the casket.

Sinjin saw a lone demon bravely charging the girls, so he aimed and fired a round of shots at the demon. Drew stopped his horse and motioned for the girls to keep going as he dumped holy water and salt onto the fallen demon. "Good! Keep moving!"

The demons screamed as the ranchers filled their bodies with lead. As Sinjin circled the perimeter, he shot down many demons that some ranchers had to run over and double tap. As covered the south perimeter of the cemetery, he saw the Priest and three ranchers found a black hole in the ground that demons were crawling out of. The men were looking away as the Priest was pouring salt down and one demon was climbing out of the hole. Sinjin clicked his rifle towards the demon and fired a shot, startling all the men.

"Focus on the Priest as well! One of you keep an eye on him while the others watch for anyone coming your way! We can't afford to lose the priest, he's our best shot at closing that damned hole!"

He watched with his gun locked on the hole as the priest finished circling the hole with salt. He stepped out of the circle, then put a circle around himself as he held open his bible. Two of the ranchers followed Sinjin's lead, so once he was sure it was secure, he started to ride around the cemetery once more.

Some of the ranchers had been thrown off their horses. One currently had a demon on top of him. Sinjin aimed a pistol for the demon and fired off a shot into its back. The large six foot demon was rushing for the girls, and before he could do anything, Drew's horse jumped in front of the girls and the man fired a shot at point-blank range into the demon's head. Sinjin added a shot to the creature, making sure it fell, then Drew proceeded to sprinkle holy water and salt on and around the demon.

The battle raged on for several minutes until the demons were gone and the eerie music ceased. A few of the ranch hands were gone permanently, which Sinjin feared, but he was grateful at the same time for their help in securing David's casket, which now had mounds of salt around and over it.

He stopped his horse at the casket and got off as Tori and Courtney both stood beside it. Tori was trembling and her eyes stared fearfully at the bolts in the corners. There were three holes in the top for breathing, but as Tori was, Sinjin was worried David would not make it.

"All right, someone brought a crowbar, right?"

"Right here," one of the ranchers handed him a crowbar and he thanked them. He eyed the casket until he saw a line at the edge that could be torn off. Tori put her hand on his shoulder and he looked over.

"Be careful, please. Don't hurt Daddy."

"He'll be all right, I'll be careful." With that, he thrust the tip of the crow bar into the wood and began tearing it open. After nearly five minutes of work, he had the entire casket open. Tori gasped softly as Sinjin tossed the crowbar on the ground.

David lay in the casket in full police uniform. He had his wrists bound over his chest and his ankles bound as well. His face was covered in soot and his hair was a mess. Tori whimpered fearfully as Sinjin felt of David's pulse. "H-How is he, Sinjin?"

"He's alive. Barely. We need to get him back to the ranch where we can secure the area and get the doctor to work on fixing him up." With a grunt, Sinjin pulled David out of the casket and hoisted him over his shoulder. "Damn your dad's heavy!" It was mostly muscle, but either or, the man was difficult to hold up. Sinjin carried him to his horse and set him in a secure area. "We'll ride carefully so he doesn't fall off. Surely the ghosts will know we have him, so we have to work fast on the chance they raise anymore demons."

"Okay." Tori hugged her father before getting back on her horse. Tears dripped from her eyes as she studied the unconscious man. "Please be okay, Dad…"

"He will be fine, Tori. Don't worry, he's in good hands now."

The ride back to the ranch was quiet and safe, but it could easily turn into a mistaken silence. When they were back, Drew shut the gates to the ranch as the Priest and several men started to salt the perimeter. The doctor carried David into his clinic while Tori and Courtney followed after.

Sinjin sat on his horse with Drew beside him, overlooking the road towards the ranch. "What do we do if the demons find a way inside and destroy the ranch?"

"First thing we do is make a run for the nearest town."

"Armadillo?"

"Yep."

"I miss my history books already…Let's hope Trina finds us first, I'm not sure how long our morale here is going to last."

* * *

Well that was a stunning chapter wouldn't you agree? David's still unconscious as though the ghosts have him locked down tighter than any of those in LA, but he's alive.


	26. Nuevo Paraíso Cleansed

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 26 (Nuevo Paraíso Cleansed)

Midway to Escalera, Trina stopped due to a sudden strange feeling in her gut. She looked towards her right, which was to the north. There was a strange feeling of warmth in the air, a peaceful and warm feeling that unsettled her at the same time. Was it a false sense of security? Perhaps they should begin crossing back over the second they were done with Escuella.

John appeared beside her and put his hand on Shadow's back as he looked in the direction Trina was looking. "Why'd you stop? We're almost to town, is something wrong?"

"No it's just a feeling, intuition. Can't decide if it's good or bad. Let's keep going. We don't have all day." She continued her ride, gazing at all the hills they passed through. It was peaceful until Escalera, in which case, the town was walled in and on the side of a cliff just about. "I hope those bandits are still holed up in their cells."

"Does it matter if they escape? Once we take out Escuella, then everyone in this vicinity will be crossing over into the great beyond."

"We hope, anyway. Our only clue is the fact that the animals are doing that." It was true, she was more concerned that there was a chance the humans would just go on about their lives. She couldn't see Herbert Moon going anywhere without getting himself shot, though. "I guess we're about to find out if what we're doing will save them or not."

"Have faith, dear granddaughter, have faith."

"I'm only just now starting to have any kind of faith whatsoever." She laughed dryly and shook her head while John raised an eyebrow at her. "What? My faith's been shaky since I was fifteen or sixteen, deal with it."

"So you're saying what? You believe in God now? You didn't before?"

"I've always believed in _a_ God. It's belief in how benevolent He is that has been shaky for a while. Seeing how I'm sure God's been the one sending you here and all that to stop the bad guys, maybe He is a benevolent one. My praying back in Tumbleweed? He heard it I guess, because he let all those spirits cross over."

"Well He is benevolent. It's rather interesting actually, in life I never thought much of an afterlife. Or of Heaven and Hell."

"Yeah…"

They came upon Escalera thirty minutes later and found Abraham standing out on the patio of the mansion in town. Abraham eyed them and waved. "Hola! I see you're back!"

"Yeah, we're going to need you for a minute." She hopped off Shadow and walked over to Abraham. "There's a problem. Now, we cleared Sepulcro and all Tori's friends, including Beck, are safe to wake up." Abraham cheered and clapped his hands together.

"Finally! I knew you could do it!"

"Right, well there's a problem. The devil took the guise of a really bad man to send a message to Beck. He's tied down to a table and bloody, he could die any time now. If he wakes at all. We need you, when we clear Nuevo Paraíso, to visit him and tend to his wounds if you can."

"You want me to help save my descendent? Of course I will, but…" Abraham spread his arms out and turned to his countryside. "We're still stuck here, I can do nothing. I am not even dead."

"No that's the thing, we're about to free Nuevo Paraíso." Abraham's eyes lit up with delight and he spun around, catching Trina off guard by hugging her and thanking her over and over. After a few seconds she pushed herself away and started chuckling, feeling rather uncomfortable with the man. "Anyway. We found out through Allende that Capitan Vincente de Santa, and Javier Escuella were the two that held Nuevo Paraíso. When Javier's gone we expect everyone in this land will pass on to the other side as well."

"Finally, I can give my country what they want. Freedom! Can I ride with you two? I wish to see this freedom come!" Trina looked to John and he shrugged. There wasn't any big issue, and a third rider could be good. Abraham snapped his fingers and pointed towards a Sheriff's office in town. "The banditos are still locked up in there, and they haven't tried to escape. So they'll be fine still in there. There's nothing I need to do here, I don't know if I need to prepare my country or not."

"I don't think there will be any time to worry about that. I'm not sure how sudden it's going to be. I don't know if you'll be able to get into Beck's hell to save the guy or at least make his wounds less, but when you're a spirit, I hope you will be able to do something. I need to save my sister's friends. It's very important that I do. If you want to ride with us, then you may as well come along. Besides, it'll be good for us to see what happens when we clear this area for good."

"Ah, so I am test subject number one then?" Trina laughed and John pulled the brim of his hat over his eyes.

"Yep you are. An extra pair of eyes in Sidewinder will also help tremendously."

"Great! Sounds like fun! Let's go!"

Sidewinder Gulch was not far from Escalera at all, but it was extremely curvy and difficult to get out of. Trina wasn't too fond of the area, so she opted to get out as soon as possible.

Javier's grave was indeed in the middle, covered by several small rocks. Trina and Abraham cleared away the rocks while John gazed up at the clouds forming in the sky. "I wonder what kind of steed this one will come in on," John remarked.

"Don't really know, don't really care." Once the rocks were cleared away, Trina dug until she found Javier's casket. She dropped the holy oil in, then lit it aflame. "Here we go." The sky began to grow extremely dark and all ability to see was lost as the shadows of the cliffs above them loomed over them. "Okay. Darkness. He'll be coming in on a dark horse."

"Go figure."

"Protect Abraham, seeing as how he can be mortally wounded."

"Not permanently."

"We're dealing with ghostly mumbo jumbo. Keep him safe."

"Touche."

Trina heard shouting and a horse whinnying in the distance. She listened for the galloping hooves as she had done with Allende. To her pleasure, the horse was heavier and louder than the light horse Allende had come in on.

She turned to the north where the sound was coming from and listened carefully for placement. "John can you see in this darkness?" Like the light, John was on a higher, spiritual plane, so he was able to see the normal land conditions.

"Not as well as I could in the light, but yes. He is directly in front of you. There is a rock to your right, if you can use your skills to jump off that rock and jump onto him, maybe-"

"I can kick him off the horse."

"Not so fast!" Javier's voice exclaimed. Suddenly the galloping ceased and Trina felt her body being thrown back against the cliff wall. She screamed out as her wrists and ankles were bound by shadows against the wall. Her heart pounded as she made a failed attempt to pull herself away.

"No! Shit, let me go! Damn it!"

"I will kill you before I let you go. I am not stupid. First…John Marston, I see you there with that gun…If you try to shoot me, I will crush your granddaughter faster than you can blink an eye." Trina began to sweat as she kept trying to pull free from the binds. Her stomach flipped as her body tensed. She threw her head back and screamed in a mix of anger and anguish.

"Leave my grandfather alone, you sack of shit! You can't hold me against my will! I won't be restrained!" She continued fighting, throwing her body in every direction to make some kind of movement in her arms and legs. "Let me go!"

"You're a fighter, aren't you?" Javier stepped forward. She felt a hand on her cheek and froze as the man started to laugh. "Too bad you weren't smart enough to keep yourself from getting caught. The middle of Sidewinder Gulch? Really? There's not enough room to fight here!"

"I swear to god, I will find a way to kill you."

"Right. And how are you going to do that exactly? I'm the one in control here." She clenched her eyes shut as nausea and rage fired up inside of her. She felt a sudden blow to her stomach and clenched her teeth, trying to absorb the pain. Trina heard John snap his fingers and Javier snapped his glare to the man. "What did you just do?"

Trina slowly lifted her head as she felt the gloves on her hand grow and extend to her shoulders, eventually covering her entire body as if it were a full suit. With a new and strange feeling surging through her, she was able to swing her arms and legs through the bindings as if all they had been were thin air. Javier screamed as she slammed her hands into his head.

A gunshot rang out and the horse collapsed to the ground, ending the darkness. Trina stepped over Javier and moved her hands to her hips, growling as the man looked up to her with wide eyes. "_No one_ restrains me, Javier. _No one!"_ She clenched a fist and slammed it into his head. Javier screamed out in pain as John fired a shot into his back.

Javier groaned softly as blood pumped from the wound. Trina staggered to the right and fell onto her hands and knees, holding her stomach and retching as she fought the violent memories and emotions raging through her. "Damn it." John fired another shot into Javier before running over to Trina and kneeling beside her. "Hey. Hey are you all right?"

"Do I look like I'm fucking okay?" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, settling herself down. "Sorry. I'll be fine. Just…give me a minute…" She clenched her teeth as tears burned in her eyes. Abraham walked over to the two of them, asking what was going on. She leaned back, sitting on her knees. "That man doesn't know what he did…" She wiped her eyes and slowly pulled herself up, using a nearby rock as leverage. "Jesus I am getting sick of this. I just want to go home, hug my dad, my sister, Sinjin…and be done with this godforsaken mess!" In her rage, she spun around and dealt a sharp kick to Javier's side.

"It'll be over soon," John replied, "I'm sorry Trina. I really am. It will be over soon, I promise."

"Not soon enough. God I can't stand it! Being restrained like that, being _vulnerable_, I hate it."

"Hey, something's happening over here!" Abraham cried out. Trina looked over, mildly concerned. Abraham's hand was on his stomach and he was staggering backwards while looking up to the skies. "I feel…weird…and the sky. Look at the sky!"

"What?" She turned her gaze upwards to see the sky lighting up and raining down streams of light. White feathers were falling over them. Suddenly the disgust and anger in her disappeared as a feeling of peace overwhelmed her. The sky was like a glass of pure energy encompassing them all. "It's finally happening. Nuevo Paraíso…"

"Freedom? This is…freedom?"

"Yes Abraham. How does it feel?"

"Like…I don't know, it's not possible to describe it. I know everyone in my land is feeling the way I am…they must be." They walked out of Sidewinder to see the entire land of Nuevo Paraíso covered with white feathers that were being absorbed into the ground. "W-What's happening? My land…my people…" In the distance was a traveler staring at his hands as he began to glow. There was a golden, angelic tint coming from him and several other people they saw throughout the land.

"You're all being cleansed," John marveled in awe as he gazed up into the skies, "The white feathers are from the angels. They found Nuevo Paraíso. Everyone that's ever been trapped here…"

"Guys!"

"Yes?" Abraham had his hands stretched out in front of him, his body was turning golden and his skin was slowly melting off of him. It didn't look like a horrible thing at all, but as a butterfly emerging from a cocoon after one hundred years.

"Oh-Oh my god. Do you guys hear that?"

"I hear nothing," Trina answered. John started to smile as Abraham looked to the sky. The man began to lift into the air, with tears in his eyes. Trina could see millions of souls in the distance rising up like beams of lightning from the earth. "Should I be hearing something?"

"It's angels singing," John nudged her in the side and she raised her eyebrows. "Humans can't hear it. Well, living humans anyway." Her lips formed a circle as John crossed his arms. "They're calling the people in Nuevo Paraíso up. I imagine from here we won't know where they're going to be sent, but something tells me after years of suffering, their souls will finally be in peace."

Trina was moved to tears as Abraham happily cried out, singing that he was ready to go home. "Once I am above, I will look after my descendents," Abraham promised. "I will find Beck and do what I can to help him. Thank you, Trina! Thank you John! I will never forgive you, Mexico…_I_ am forever in your debt!" The man laughed joyously and threw his arms to his side as if pushing off in a pool. He rushed into the sky, rising towards the giant light filled horizon.

"This is going to take a while, Trina. If you want, we should start heading back into New Austin. I have an idea of where Dutch Van Der Linde is…"

"What do you mean?"

"The angels…they gave me his location. He is buried where he died, Edgar never moved his body. They buried him on that same spot. He is also the one holding Diez Corona in place. He's the second key, however, to unlocking West Elizabeth. Allende was the first. After him, all we have left will be is Edgar."

"I see…" Trina climbed onto Shadow and gazed up at the souls finally returning home. "Then they'll be sent home. I'll find my dad and will return home. Not sure anyone's going to believe this."

"It is pretty unbelievable."

"That is it."

Moving through Nuevo Paraíso was a beautiful sight, with all the streams of light rising up and the beautiful horizon. She was so overcome with bliss that and joy that she almost wanted to stay, but there was no time left. There was work to be done.

Oddly enough, the minute they crossed over the border and all the souls that remained in Nuevo Paraíso, John stated that the newly freed land had been discovered by travelers in Mexico. It was a bittersweet moment for her, because this also meant the land was on its way to becoming modernized.

Either way, repopulation would be a good thing. Hopefully there would be remains of the past history there, but she wasn't sure. The buildings and the land had aged rapidly, to the point that the buildings that once stood had crumbled and now all of Nuevo Paraíso looked like a ghost town, with ruins littering it.

"I'm almost amazed the people didn't age rapidly."

"Well for those not knowing what was happening, I'm pretty sure seeing their own souls emerge as they shed their humanly bodies…not to mention those bodies turning into dirt right in front of their eyes…would be a rather terrifying sight."

"Eh, it's a small price to pay for freedom after a hundred years, right?"

"If you say so."

* * *

So we get our first taste of what happens when a region is cleansed, and it's beautiful indeed. Now Abraham can go mend his descendent's wounds.


	27. Mother and Daughter: Estranged

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 27 (Mother and Daughter: Estranged)

Trina stopped at a place called Benedict's Point, they had a trading post and a small train station going through town. To the right of the main building was a stagecoach. She was tempted to ride in one since she came to the old west town in the first place, considering she'd seen them everywhere. Not to mention they had a long way of travel to go, and she was feeling exhausted, mentally and physically. Fighting off ghosts and riding a horse for hours without end had a tendency to put stress on the body.

She got off Shadow and walked up to the stagecoach, smiling at the man in charge of the horses. "Hey mister, I need a ride if you're offering." The man tipped his hat and motioned for the cart. She chuckled to herself as she entered into to the red felt seats. "An old fashioned taxi service. How much does he charge…" She leaned out the window and called out. "Hey how much do you charge to go out Cochinay? Or is that too far out of your way?"

"That'll be close to twenty dollars, ma'am. A treacherous drive, but I'll get you there."

"Thank you!" She was fortunate that the poker players in Armadillo gave her some money, since the money here looked quite different from modern day money. She looked out the window at Shadow and waved, knowing the horse would appear where she ended up. "See you around, Shadow. I need a nap."

She threw her legs up on the seat and lounged with her back against the inside of the stage coach. There was plenty of room between her feet and the other end of the vehicle, so she could easily lay down and sleep if she wanted. "Sometimes. Being five foot three pays off…" Taking suggestion from her mind, she let the driver know she would be napping and curled up on the seat.

As exhausted as her body was, her mind was still rather active. She dearly missed Sinjin, Tori, and wanted desperately to see her father. Even if she could go back home now, they would all be under the curse. Her lower lip pouted out as she turned onto her back and held her phone up in front of her. No one in her address book would even be awake, except Melinda of course, and maybe her mother.

Loneliness swept over her like a tidal wave as she looked to the empty stagecoach. She could imagine herself riding and sharing this experience with her sister, dad, Sinjin, and Courtney. If only it was a possibility. "What the hell…" She clicked on her mother's name and moved the phone to her ear. As she eyed the ceiling of the vehicle, she pondered why she was even bothering with this call. Was she so lonely that she was willing to try and make contact with her estranged mother? _"Divorce is pretty much finalized, she's already in London anyway."_

Her mother did answer. Holly's pitch was high and panic was in her tone. "Trina? Is that you? Trina, my flight to LA was stopped, I had to buy a _rental_ and drive in! Everyone's dead! Trina! Where are you? Where's your sister and your father?"

"No one is dead mom, they'll be okay. They're….sleeping. It's hard to say, and I don't know if I'll have signal for long." She rolled onto her chest as tears welled up in her eyes. "Momma. I'm scared, I'm lonely. I'm trying to find daddy, trying to save Tori, and even her stupid friends. I'm by myself, I'm so alone that I'm actually calling you?" Holly gasped and Trina heard something drop to the ground, probably Holly's purse.

"Trina? Baby what's the matter? Are you okay? Is your father all right? Tori? You're trying to _save _her?"

"Since when do you care? You never cared…I don't even know why I'm talking to you. I'm just lonely. I want my boyfriend. I'm in a stagecoach and I can't even enjoy the ride or sleep…as exhausted as I am."

"It's not that I don't care baby, I just-"

"You only ever cared about Tori. Not that it's a problem but your judgment was all skewed. You know what I mean? You kept telling dad to let Tori have her friends at Hollywood Arts and they _ruined _her. Also, when I was fifteen…You remember my boyfriend? You said nothing happened because-"

"Trina I know I was wrong about that, okay? We've had this discussion-"

"No! I saw him again mama."

"What?! How? He's dead isn't he? I thought-I had-how is that possible?" Trina raised an eyebrow and sat up, her heart was beginning to race. She cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes as she swept her tears away.

"Those bodies in LA, the reason everyone's asleep? It's supernatural. Ghosts, mom. They put LA to sleep so they could kill us. Me, Daddy, Tori…well they took Dad, Tori's probably still in that diner in a coma with her friends and Sinjin. I'm trying to hunt them down to save everyone, and I'm alone. I'm scared momma. I'm doing the right thing and it's frightening me. The first thing I saw? You know what the first thing was? _Ross_. They pulled him from hell so he could kill me, so he could pull me down…"

"No…He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No, he didn't. Just like in your mind he never hurt me before and daddy threw him in jail for nothing. Just because someone doesn't fucking scream doesn't mean a thing, Mom!"

"No I know, I know…You froze, that's what you told me those years ago. I thought you were doing okay."

"I was! I am…that kind of thing doesn't get erased, Mom. It stays with you. You know, why do you even bother daddy? He's always been the better parent. He always will be. He's the one that cared when things got hard for all of us, while you just sat around doing _nothing!_" She rubbed her forehead and groaned softly, "I didn't call you to yell at you, mom…I'm just stressed out. I'm tired and exhausted, you're probably scared enough in LA."

"I'm having a hard enough time believing what you're saying about ghosts, but seeing everyone in LA, I'm not denying it. Baby, are you going to be okay? I can tell by your voice…you're hurting."

"Because I'm _scared_ mom. I'm dealing with all this shit by myself. Even police have partners and my partner is my dead ancestor…If I wanted to be the ghostbusters, I would have auditioned to be on one of those damn paranormal shows!" Holly laughed slightly and lowered her voice.

"Just take a deep breath, Trina. You're right, I am scared. I don't know where anyone is. I just…Try and relax. Talk to me. Where are you? Are you in danger?"

"No…" Trina crossed her legs over and relaxed her shoulders as she gazed out the window. "Not really. I don't know if I can say I'm safe either. I'm playing hero."

"Like you and Tori used to do when you were children?"

"Only much more real and terrifying. Did you find a house in London?"

"Yes, and it's a nice place too. Trina, when I noticed you were all gone, I went to check on everyone. Your dad, he's not at the police station. Tori's not anywhere with her friends, and you weren't at Sinjin. His station wagon, it's gone though." Trina's eyes widened and she sat up quickly, her voice raising high with concern.

"What?! Did you check the garage? He loves that thing!"

"You're right, it might be in there. I don't know."

"Would you check? Or would that be too much to ask?"

"Trina, I'm trying here, give me a chance…I'm still your mother."

Trina scoffed and closed her eyes, not believing a word her mother was saying. "Sorry." She had to learn not to be so judgmental, but really her relationship with her mother ended a long time before Trina and their father were through with her.

"I know we've had a rocky relationship, but if you would give me a chance, you would see I'm not all bad. I do actually care…"

"Sure you do. That explains why you were never on my side where it mattered most."

"I was on your side more than you think I was, Trina."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Holly stammered as Trina started to smirk. "You know Mom, honesty was never your best policy. You want some kind of relationship, you better learn to be honest and don't start off with a lie."

"I'm not lying! Baby-I know I neglected you and Tori, and I'm sorry. I know I cheated on your father with Gary. I had reasons. I never justified it, but think about how old you were around the time that affair started. Think about what happened…you want the truth, Trina? I may have been neglectful, but a mother protects her kids whether or not she's there."

"What are you-" Her breath hitched and her body started to tense up. As she thought back to her mother's affair with Gary, which really was what killed her relationship with their father. The divorce was over that affair, which started shortly before Ross was murdered by the inmate. Tears welled up in her eyes as the bile began to burn into her throat. "Y-You didn't…That wasn't you. Tell me that wasn't you! You had nothing to do with that!"

"I didn't want to upset you, I know…I didn't tell Gary what happened, honest I didn't, baby. I was angry though, maybe I didn't show it but I was pissed that someone would degrade one of my daughters. I told Gary that that man hurt my family, and I wanted him dead. I…I never told anyone else about that…the next thing I know, that _thing_ was dead, killed by an inmate while the guards watched."

Trina's hand trembled and she wanted to throw the phone out the window, she wanted to scream, to break down and weep. How could her mother do that? How could _anyone_ get so close to putting their whole life at risk because of what some asshole did to her? "W-Why…Why would you do that? Momma why would you tell Gary to do that? Why would you…you could have gone to jail! Do you even know how much that would have screwed with me if my own mother went to jail because of _me?!_ You don't do that sort of thing! You don't! You leave the asshole alone and let someone else judge him! You know that, Momma!"

"I know, and baby I've more than paid for that. I-I couldn't tell you, I couldn't tell your father, Tori. And maybe I latched onto Gary too much after that…"

"Maybe?!"

Holly's voice wavered and Trina was certain she could hear the tears the woman was crying. "It was wrong, I ended the affair. The damage was already done though…" Trina cupped her hand over her mouth and screamed into it. Tears ran down her cheeks and her body began to tremble. "The other day. I don't know what came over me. I was angry. I was angry I wasted all my time wallowing in guilt and having an affair that I screwed my relationship up with my daughters, my husband. I wanted that time back and I demanded you and Tori to be sent to London to be with me. I…I know I shouldn't have done that-"

"You made daddy doubt himself, Mom. That's bullshit and you know it. Dad always cared, he did everything in his power…to be a good father. He doesn't deserve to have you trample that!"

"I know. I know baby…"

"I hope you have a nice life in London, mom. I…What are you even doing in LA?"

"Truth? I was going to apologize to your father."

"Well Dad's not there, he's not here, I don't know where he is."

"Where are you?"

"You remember those old stories Granddad Jack used to talk about?"

"Yes…"

"I'm there. In New Austin. Probably passing somewhere near Rio Bravo now. Heading to Cochinay."

"Cochinay? I've heard of that. It was a military base wasn't it? Back in the early 1900s…I know exactly where that's at…My great grandfather was stationed there back in the day. He left sometime around 1910. About a two hour flight to the nearest town from LA."

"I think it was, maybe. I've got a whole day of riding in a stagecoach. Anyway, what's that town? I think I might look for that airport. It beats riding out…my car's busted. This land is frozen in the 1900s, there are people here who think of women only for sex purposes."

"None of them have done anything to you?"

"No mother…none of them have, I can handle myself just fine."

"I know, I know, god you take after your father in more ways than one!" Trina laughed and wiped away the streak of tears on her cheek.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Anyway, where's the nearest town outside of Cochinay, did your grandfather ever say?"

"El Paso. I remember great grandpa saying that it was just a few miles from the town that he met his wife in. Blackwater."

"Blackwater? Really? Cool…That might actually be my next stop. There's a guy buried up in Cochinay that I have to take out, his ghost, and free the people in this land. It'll also wake the people in LA."

"Yeah I just drove by that diner you were talking about. Saw Tori's friends asleep there…Did not see Tori or Sinjin. Not to mention, Courtney was gone when I stopped by Sinjin's house earlier. I thought they would all be with you."

"They're not there?" She looked out the window, terrified of her mother's words. If they weren't there, then did the ghosts find out about them somehow? Did they take them. "Oh god, they could be in trouble…I can't do anything about it!"

"Trina? Trina just calm down, okay?

"Calm down? _Calm down?_ How can I calm down when my boyfriend, my sister, and his sister are all missing when they're supposed to be asleep? They could be in danger! They could be like dad! You expect me to calm down when-"

"Ma'am we have a problem!" The driver shouted. The sound of gunfire caused Trina to scream out and her mother immediately asked to know what was going on. She looked out the window and saw a bunch of people on horseback, trying to rob the stagecoach.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me! Mom, I have to go!"

"Trina no! Stay on the line! Please!"

Another shot rang out and Trina flinched, "No time for that." She hung up the phone and looked out the window. She needed to think of a plan, and fast. She knocked on the top of the car, thankful it was still moving. "Driver, you wouldn't happen to have a gun back here would you?"

"Under the seat, ma'am!"

"Thanks!" She reached under the seat, patting around a couple times until she found a rifle. "Keep driving and keep your head down!" She leaned out the window with the gun, narrowing her eyes as she aimed for the horses.

There were three men firing at the stagecoach. All she had to do was take out the horses first, but that would be a difficult task for her considering she didn't want to shoot innocent animals. She steadied her aim on the rider of the middle horse and grimaced as a bullet grazed her left shoulder.

"Screw you right back, pal!" Her finger hugged the trigger and a shot rang out, striking the man in the chest. The horse whinnied and took off in another direction, dragging the screaming man with him as his foot was still in the stirrup.

She moved the rifle to the second rider and pulled the trigger, but the stagecoach went over a bump, causing her to jerk the gun back and miss. Trina pulled herself inside in time to avoid getting hit by the gun. "Ma'am! More ammo is hidden under the seat as well!"

"Thank you!"

"You're a real classy lady, ma'am."

"Thanks!" She laughed at the compliment, reloaded the gun, and leaned back out the window. "Rob another stagecoach, assholes! You'd think you'd be bored with this crap after a century!" She pulled the trigger and knocked another rider off his horse. "Five minutes to wake back up, hopefully we're long gone." She leaned back in and looked up at the ceiling. "Driver! How fast can this coach go?"

"Faster if you like?"

"Please and thank you!" She steadied the gun out the window again as the driver pushed the cart faster still. "Steady as she goes…ready, aim, and…" She squeezed the trigger and watched as the bullet struck the third man in the thigh. The man screamed out and fell off his horse, rolling down a nearby Cliffside. "They're all gone sir!"

"Thank you miss! Consider this a free ride!"

"Amazing! Thanks again!" She pulled herself back in and stuffed the rifle down under the seat. They still had a long way to go, and they were out of danger, so there was no reason to stay awake now. She lay back down and closed her eyes. "Wake me when we get there, sir."

The driver woke her up several hours later, "We're here miss." She stumbled out, half asleep, and thanked him for a safe ride. "I won't charge you since you shot off those bandits."

"All right, thanks again." She looked up to the wooden fence, the entrance of Cochinay. "It's about damned time." She slapped herself to wake up and slowly moved towards the town. Sure enough there were tents stationed around as if it were an old fashioned military hideout.

There was a woman and man nearby, cooking something in a pot that made her stomach growl. The scent led her over and the couple glanced up at her with a smile. "Hey there ma'am, fancy a feast?" The woman asked with a friendly smile.

"We're cookin' a pot of stew."

"Ah Paul, I worry about running out of food up here, the animals are scarce, almost all gone. We can offer some stew to this lady, right? She looks so weary from her travels."

"Of course, Mary." Paul motioned to the bench near a pile of bones. "Have a seat and we'll give you a bowl."

"I appreciate that," Trina hesitated before accepting their offer. She wasn't usually trusting of anyone, but her judgment was down quite a bit. She saw Mary stand as she sat down. In the corner of her eyes she studied the bones and waited as Paul stirred the ladle. "Where exactly did those bones come from?"

"Nothing to worry about, just food since the animals are gone from these here parts."

"All that's left is human meat," Mary remarked sadly. Trina's eyes widened and she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. She collapsed to the ground and moaned as her eyes fixated on the town entrance.

As her vision started to blur, she thought she saw a woman huffing and puffing at the entrance. She had short red hair and a dark purple leather purse hanging from her left shoulder. Her hand was reaching into the purse and pulling out a gun. Before she could question what she was seeing, her vision gave way to loss of consciousness.

* * *

So Trina got a chance to speak with her mother, and had a run-in with cannibals, how lovely.


	28. Mother and Daughter: The Fight

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 28 (Mother and Daughter: The Fight)

Trina opened her eyes, moaning as she found herself on her back in the middle of a patch of grass. The sun was bright in her eyes. "Shit, I let my guard down? Wait…What happened!" She sat up and quickly looked down at her body, nothing was out of the ordinary, she felt just fine. In the corner of her eyes, she saw Paul and Mary, tied up and with many gunshot wounds in their struggling bodies. Her eyes moved towards the left and, of all people, she saw her mother sitting on a rock, moving back and forth. "M-Mom? How the hell…"

"They kept coming back…they kept coming back…"

"Mom?!" Holly gasped and ran for Trina, throwing her arms around her.

"They were going to eat you, baby! They were going to cook you. I had to shoot them! They came back, so I shot them again, and they came back…_again_. I finally found some rope in the campsite, tied them up, and look, they're still alive!" Holly pointed at the two and Trina shrugged.

"You get used to it, they're living in cursed land. They haven't been able to die for a century. Now, what in the hell are you doing here? How did you find me, to begin with?"

"Phone." Trina raised a eyebrow as Holly pointed to her phone. "Five years ago I started putting GPS trackers on yours and Tori's phones in case anything happened to one of you."

"Are you serious?" Trina looked at her phone and narrowed her eyes. "Okay. That can be discussed another time, but I may be getting a new phone now. Next question, how did you find this place?"

"I told you on the phone…I left LA when we were cut off and I boarded the nearest flight to El Paso. Drove the rest of the way. The car died a while back so I did a lot of running to find you." Holly squeezed her again, causing her to groan as her body surged with pain. She heard her mother gasp and touch a small cut on her shoulder. "What happened to your arm!"

"It's nothing. I got grazed in a gunfight."

"You don't call a gunfight nothing, Trina!' She was startled by her mother's sudden concern. It didn't make a whole lot of sense, but as she remembered the phone conversation, she was starting to realize maybe there was something more. "No doubt you found out the phones don't really work when you get here. Grandpa John made my phone able to make calls, but that's it."

"Your grandpa John?"

John appeared behind Holly and tipped his hat, "Howdy miss?" Holly jumped up and screamed out when she saw him.

"I've had enough scares for one day, thank you!"

"Yeah I agree," Trina pushed herself up an felt the tender spot on the back of her head. "Grandpa, where have you been?"

"I was checking on the spirits that we freed out of Nuevo Paraíso. Is everything all right? This is your mother right?" He pulled up on his belt and turned to the woman, smirking slightly. "Well Miss, I've heard quite a bit about you. Your uh-your daughter thinks very highly of you, ma'am." Concerned, Trina waved her hand along her neck while Holly shot him a skeptical look.

"No she doesn't, I know my daughter. Don't lie to her mother." Holly crossed her arms and tilted her head to the side. "Even if you are her great-great-I don't know how far back-grandfather."

"One more great, ma'am."

"…Great." Holly spun around and moved her hands out some. "Trina what are you doing? You're coming out here, nearly getting yourself eaten alive! I thought you said you could take care of yourself!"

"I _can_, mother dearest!"

"Apparently not, I almost lost a daughter to these freaks!" Holly kicked Paul in the side and he screamed out in pain. Paul cursed them out and both Holly and Trina yelled simultaneously at him.

"Oh shut and die already!'

Holly stomped her foot on the ground and wagged a finger in front of Trina's face. "You're as stubborn as your father! You always have been. You get hurt or put yourself in danger, then you put it off like it's nothing. 'oh it was just a little shootout' is not nothing!"

"Isn't that why you always liked Tori best? Because I took after Dad more?"

"I never said I liked Tori best, I never say I like either of my daughters better than the other. Besides, both of you tend to get yourselves in trouble and your dad has to go get you!"

"I never saw you pick us up."

Mary struggled in her binds and glanced up, "Is now really the best time for a maternal argument." Ignoring the woman slightly, they both kicked her and went on with their argument. Mary's head fell to the ground while John watched, bemused.

"I didn't expect you to show up here, so maybe you're the one putting yourself in danger. I never even said I wanted your concern, mother!"

"You call me, tell me you're lonely, all alone, frightened and chasing after _ghosts_. What do you expect me to do?"

"Sit around like always and ignore me! I'll repeat myself, I wasn't expecting you to find a way to travel all the way here!"

"I did it for you! I get that you're a big girl, independent and can handle yourself, but what did you expect when these two sickos decided to try and eat you alive?"

"I would have found a way."

"See! Just like your father! Always seeing some impossible and nonexistent exit to any bad situation. And that's another thing, what are these people doing trying to eat when they can't die?"

Paul groaned at them, "Sometimes the hunger gets overbearing."

Trina and Holly rolled their eyes and turned to them, shouting at the top of their lungs, "We're not talking to you two!" Paul flinched and Mary let her head fall to the ground. Holly turned back to Trina and crossed her arms. "You've always wanted to be just like your father, going off on some adventure but never paying attention to the dangers that are out there. You expect me not to worry about you? I knew I'd be worrying about you enough when you said you wanted to be a cop."

"Well shit, mom. You sure ignored me enough to prove you ever cared."

"Would you stop waving that in my face already!"

"No! I still don't get how you can care! Hell you even told Dad to let Tori stay friends with those people who had bad pasts."

"I thought it was in the past! I thought they changed, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt before we told our daughter she couldn't be friends with them."

"Newsflash mother, they didn't change!" She waved her hand in the air and gestured out to the side. "Beck's still a womanizing, now pressuring Jade into having sex. He's actually made a mess out of _my_ bedsheets out of revenge. Robbie's still dealing with a puppet he thinks is his dead brother, Andre slaps his grandmother around to shut her up…These are the people you told Dad to let remain friends with your daughter!"

"I was _wrong!_ Okay? There, I said it! I'm sorry! Isn't that enough?!"

"No! It is not enough! Your 'sorry' has never been enough! It wasn't enough after Ross, and it's not enough now!" Holly gasped and moved her hand to her chest, breathing in slowly. Trina threw her hand in the air and raised her voice more. As it seemed almost like a competition of who could yell at who the loudest. "When Tori and I needed a mother, you weren't there for us! You were never fucking there,_ mom! Never!_ So no, 'sorry Trina', 'sorry Tori', isn't going to cut it!"

Mary cleared her throat and the two women glared at her while John put his hand to his forehead, "You really shouldn't talk to your mother like that."

Trina and Holly growled and looked to two nearby horses. Trina started to smirk, followed by Holly's smirk. "Trina…are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If it involves sending those two away, then maybe I am…"

"You grab the woman and I'll get the guy."

John laughed as the two picked up their targets and moved for the horses. "Hey!" Paul screamed out. "Hey what are you two doing?!"

"Put us down now!" Mary cried in vain.

"Yeah! We weren't doin' nothin'!"

After tying the two to the horses, Trina and Holly smacked the horses on the thighs and watched as the animals ran off. "Have a safe trip!" They called out. They could hear the cannibals weeping all the way down the mountain.

After a few minutes, Holly snickered and bowed her head. "We don't really make that bad a team, do we? I mean thinking about it…." Trina ran her hand through her hair and leaned her head back, stretching slightly.

"We have our moments. Like Tori and I do, I guess."

"One thing. One terrible act, and I let it change me. I let it destroy my entire family."

"The affair, or the other thing?"

"Both…I was so distraught, but I couldn't show it. I didn't want my family to think I was the one damaged. Something like that, it hurts everyone close. I-I went about it the wrong way. Gary saw through my sorrow and I told him things were bad with my family." Trina clenched her eyes shut and turned her head away, feeling her stomach tighten up.

"I don't really want to hear this mom."

"You do. You deserve an explanation." Tears ran along Trina's cheeks as she felt her mom's hand cup over her right cheek. She opened her eyes and gazed at her mom. "I know the last five years, it's easy to forget the kind of mother I was before then. Your father was just as distraught and I didn't want to talk to him about things because everything was stressing him out. His partner was the one who talked to me. I-I said the man being put in jail was the one that hurt my family, and yes, I said I wanted him to die…because I _did_. I wasn't thinking about how it would hurt you, I wasn't thinking about what trouble it could cause, I was just thinking selfishly. A man hurt one of my babies, Trina…"

"Then why continue the affair?"

"I don't know. I got used to him being the shoulder and used to David becoming a workaholic. Gary led into the relationship. I should have told him I was a married family woman, but I didn't. I know words don't mean much to you. You've got a thick head like your father."

"We fight like you and dad…" Trina chuckled softly as Holly wiped away the tears running down her face. Holly started to smile and lifted her shoulders up.

"Yeah that is true. You're just like that stubborn old fool. I think he gets it from his ancestors." Trina raised an eyebrow at John and scratched her nose.

"Probably. Mom, what you did…you can't justify it…"

"I know. I never meant anything, I didn't really know Gary would do what he did. I think-I think he turned himself in a while back. He pretty much said he acted on his own accord."

"So you get off free…I guess I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a good thing." It still hurt that anyone had to go to jail for her, but she was dealing with this the best she could. "Tori's friends. They're not all bad people, but they've changed her. They've made her disrespect dad. She thinks it's okay to do whatever she wants to do. She's eighteen now so she's probably going to do whatever she wants."

"Well. Trust her to make the right decision, but, yes talk to her. Also, you and Sinjin are dating now? You never told me…"

"Well you've kind of been living somewhere else now, Mom."

"I know, I guess I just miss my family."

"You've made a bed elsewhere, you've made your choice."

"I don't want to be estranged forever. I just-all I ask is that you not close that door on me. I love you Trina, I love both my daughters. It breaks my heart to see one of you hurting, and it terrifies me when I know I can't do anything. Your dad and I, we're not that different. Maybe we show our care differently, but I'm trying. Better late than never?"

"It's going to be difficult, Mom. With you all the way in London. You're all the way across the world. Why?"

"While I said my great grandfather was stationed here, he was an immigrant. My great-great-great grandparents came over from England. I wanted to find my roots."

"Do a little rediscovery, I guess?"

"Yeah…" Holly breathed in deeply and looked around the area. "What-what do we do now?"

"I still have to take out Dutch and Edgar. It will send the people of this land to freedom. Then I have to find Dad, but now…you said Sinjin, Tori, and Courtney are missing? We'll have to find them too…" She caught her mother admiring her. Curious, she raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "What?"

"You're strong, and I'm proud of you."

"Proud? Really?"

"Yes, I'm extremely proud of you. You're smart, brave, and you know to do the right thing." Trina's breath caught in her throat. She folded her arms over and bowed her head, struggling to hold back her tears. "You're going to make a great police officer one day. I know you will. You've really grown." Holly reached up and caressed Trina's cheek, then neatly tucked her hair back. "You and Tori, I couldn't ask for more capable daughters. You're beautiful, strong, and you do the best you can in life. That's all you can do. I know you said I wasn't there for you when you needed me, baby, but I'm here now."

"Yeah, so I see."

"Remember when you and Tori were young girls, and you used to always come to me, and I would say I'd never let anyone hurt you?"

"I remember." Her voice broke for a second and she wiped her eyes with her arm. "There were a lot of things you said when we were girls."

"I meant everything. I did. Sinjin. He treats you well?"

"You know he does. He'd never hurt me, momma. I trust him. More than I should have trusted-"

"That wasn't your fault." Trina leaned into her mother, letting the woman hug her. She closed her eyes and buried her lower face into Holly's shoulder. "You weren't wrong to trust someone you thought was a good hearted person. Everyone trusts their boyfriend, or their girlfriend. No one expects anything to happen, sweetheart. What happened to you was the fault of that man's evil mind. There's nothing he can do now. You're safe, baby. Momma's here…"

"I'm really doing better now than I was then. It still hurts to think about it, Mom. It hurts like hell."

"I know, baby, I know."

"Is it ever going to get better? Completely?"

"In time it will, dear." Holly rubbed her back and let her cry into her shoulder. "It's going to be okay. You're going to be all right."

"Mom…I'm sorry we fight…"

"You're looking out for your sister and your father, you should. You're doing just fine."

"I don't hate you, I don't mean to yell and scream. I just get angry when you're not there."

"I know." Holly pat her shoulders and leaned back, giving her a loving smile. "What do you say we finish up? You still have two ghosts to go, right?"

"Right…"

"Then I'm right here with you. Nobody else is going to harm you. No cannibals, no bandits, robbers, ghosts-nothing. I won't let anyone hurt my daughter."

"Mom, really…" Trina smiled and swept away her own tears. "I'm _fine_. I can them on, seriously. I've had _no problems_ up until now. I let my guard down once and only once."

"And who's to say you won't let your guard down again, huh dear?"

"No one, I just know I won't. I have a spirit guardian…"

"Who wasn't here when those cannibals were about to _eat _you, may I remind you?"

She folded her arms across her chest and leaned slightly to the right, raising her eyebrow as she spoke in annoyance. "Mom…seriously." John snickered as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, there's your father's stubborn pride right there. You are just like your him."

"That's a _good_ thing."

"If you say so. Still, I'm coming with you. No arguing, I want to see your father and sister as much as you do."

* * *

The mini arc with Trina and her mom, it's sad to me. You'll see why soon, but it is sad to me. It does look like she and Holly are getting some semblance of closure. Nice to see how alike they are.


	29. Mother and Daughter: Goodbye

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:I thought I'd finish the mini arc off for you anyway today, so here ya go.

* * *

Chapter 29 (Mother and Daughter: Goodbye's the Saddest Word)

"Your mother seems…nice?" John smirked as Trina rolled her eyes. She wasn't too happy with him having been missing. Sure she told him he could go off a while, but she never expected it to lead to her mother somehow finding her.

"Shut up." He laughed and Trina looked over her shoulder, watching her mother stop to pick some herbs from nearby. "Oh great, mom's getting medicinal on us…she saw the graze on my arm and flipped out." Her lips turned into a tiny smile. She tapped her foot on the ground, anxious to move ahead. She moved her hand up to cover the bullet graze on her should and turned back to John. "Mom camped out a lot as a girl, she wanted Tori to go into the girl scouts like she was. She knows herbs like the back of her hand."

"She'll probably need to cook them in a pot or something."

"A graze, Grandpa. Nothing serious. I've had worse cuts. Seriously, she chooses _now_ to be a concerned mother?"

"You need it." Trina rolled her eyes and shrugged her shoulders. Sure it felt nice to see her mom actually taking a moment to care, but now she had to look out for the woman and make sure she didn't put herself in some kind of danger. "I can tell, you look a little happier, giving off more of a relaxed energy."

"Still can't let my guard down for a minute. Let my guard down, and a couple of cannibals try to eat me. Jesus Gramps, you'd think people in this land would stop eating. I get that they still feel the pains of hunger, but they can't deal with it?" They began walking once more while Holly was still stuffing herbs into her purse. "Come on mom! We have to keep moving!"

"Everyone wants love and acceptance from their mother, no matter how tough they are. You can be thick as nails and have the toughest skin possible, but can bawl like a baby when your mother finally appreciate you." Trina brushed her hair back and scoffed. She didn't feel like acknowledging any of the conversation. Though she wouldn't lie, John was right, it felt damn good for her mother to tell her the things she always wanted the woman to say.

"I wasn't crying back there."

"Oh heavens no, because streams of tears are just naturally a part of the skin."

"If you weren't already dead and a ghost, I'd hit you." She looked to her gloved hand and smirked. "Oh wait. I _can_ hit you." John laughed again and Trina picked up the pace to walk faster.

"Of course I've never seen anyone not act all tough to those around them after having a conservation with their mother. Jack was the same way. His mom would get all sweet on him, then when I walk in the room, he's trying to deflect her and act all tough and manly."

"Yeah…" She raised an eyebrow and glanced back at him with a glare. "Did you just call me manly?"

"No. I was just stating how Jack acted. You-you're not manly any way."

"And _now_ you're calling me girly?" John heaved a heavy sigh and moved his hand to his forehead.

"How about we just call you a woman and leave it at that?"

"Works for me."

"Also, nice work on the quick change of topics."

"I'm a woman." She beat her hair over her shoulder and smirked. "That's what we're best at. That, and…getting a man to do whatever we want. Especially if they're our boyfriends or husbands."As they walked, Trina glanced around at the tall cliffs, remaining perfectly relaxed while struggling with impatience over not finding Dutch's grave. "So Grandpa, is it true. In your time, did they think a woman should be married by the time they're twenty?"

"Typically they start calling you a spinster as the years go on, and 30 is said to be the cut off age for acceptably married women. I think that sucks, but eh, it's my timeline. Things are different in the modern day."

"Yeah, besides, I'm twenty now and I don't think I want a husband yet."

"You're too young for a husband!" Holly called out from behind. Trina closed her eyes and sighed as Holly hurried up beside them. "You and Tori both need to focus on your education and getting a life started, not husbands and making babies." Trina rolled her eyes and slowly turned to her mother.

"I know that mommy-dearest. That's what I was just saying. Besides, the last thing I want right now are children. Maybe someday." John shook his head and slowed his pace.

"Ms. Vega, where did you drive in? I didn't see a rental car on any of the borders, and I lined those area so I could mark it."

"Just outside Cochinay, John."

"I will check again. Anyway, Trina I've been meaning to talk to you about something." Trina shrugged and paid attention while still eyeing any possible locations of burial. "There's a particular kind of ghost to keep a lookout for, not that I think you'll run into this kind."

"To be honest Grandpa, I'm kind of hoping to be done with ghosts after all this."

"Understandable. The kind of spirit that doesn't know they're dead. There aren't many like that, usually victims of tragic experiences or disappearance."

"What about them?"

"They tend to keep living life unaware, until something usually lets them know they're dead. Typically the people around them think they're perfectly fine. You might receive a call from someone long thought to have passed, or maybe even eat dinner with someone who seems perfectly alive. The reason this happens tends to happen and be so rare in occurrence despite all the violent tragedies out there is when there is some incredibly strong emotional attachment the victim has that keeps them going until they've fulfilled whatever desire or emotional attachment."

"I remember Melinda telling me about that. Why are you?"

"Just in case you ever run into one. You'll know and be able to help them fulfill whatever last attachment they have."

"Oh thanks, but really, I am _not _planning on being some kind of ghost whisperer." John smirked casually and began to snicker.

"Aw, but LA really needs one. Besides, you're kind of stuck that way now."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well usually supernatural experiences like this kind of causes you to see ghosts on a normal basis. Kind of like you have it in your genes also, but aside from that…"

"Grandpa. Please stop talking and direct me to Dutch's grave so I can burn the guy's bones and dispatch him."

"All right, all right." John looked up to a tall cliff with an opening into some cave at the top. Trina followed his gaze and trailed her eyes to the ground below the cliff where there was a wooden stake rising from the ground. "Well, this is it. Dutch."

"Great." Trina immediately went to work digging and finally came to the bones. She took a step back and looked over to Holly, who was watching intently."Mom, what you're about to see you may not like. Your daughter burning a pile of bones and fighting an evil spirit."

"Do what you have to do, baby. " John snickered and slowly nodded his head.

"Yes. Do what you have to do." Trina rolled her eyes at her grandfather's teasing her and quickly doused the bones with holy oil. The next act was the match. A cold wind blew past her, blowing her back and blinding her sight temporarily.

"Trina he's coming on your left!" Holly screamed. "Big silver horse! Look out!" Trina jumped towards the left, narrowly avoiding something swinging in the air. John fired a gunshot and dispatched the horse, leaving Dutch hovering in the air. Trina looked up to the man with narrow eyes.

"I'm getting tired of the cheap shots!"

"Pity." Dutch laughed wildly and turned to John. "John Marston, I never thought we'd be squaring off again! Horse or no, I've gained the power of flight and air. Better than those newfangled airplanes they have."

"Airplanes," Holly muttered, "Hate them." Trina raised an eyebrow at her and scoffed.

"Then why did you fly on one a whole ocean away?"

"I don't know. I told you, my roots were there."

"I thought you were just trying to get away from us."

"We're past this, I thought."

"I know we are… I'm still not past the whole you showing up here just to put yourself in danger."

"I showed up because my daughters need me…I showed up because I had to protect my daughter. I needed you to know that I do care about you, Trina."

"A conversation for another time, mother." It wasn't that she didn't want to hear it, or that she didn't believe it, she just felt they had more pressing matters to attend to. She glared at Dutch and tugged on her glove. "All right Dutch, you've had free reign enough. You're going to tell us where Edgar is, my father, and you're going to release West Elizabeth. Well, when we put you out of your misery, you will."

"I've thought this through you see." Dutch tapped his forehead as his body hovered upwards into the sky. "You cannot reach me up here.

"Is that a challenge?" He wasn't wrong, he was at least ten feet above her. "Grandpa, you can lasso him, right?"

"Of course I can." John pulled up his rope and Dutch raised an eyebrow. The criminal flew upwards some as John threw the lasso towards him, grabbing only his foot. "Got him!" He yanked Dutch back, smirking as the man was sent to the ground. Trina started to move towards the man, readying her fist. She stopped when she saw the man flash a demonic smirk.

"Trina be careful!" Holly cried out, much to Trina's irritation. She and John looked back to the woman, and Trina's voice rose to match her aggravation.

"Mom would you stop, please!" In that instant a violent wind shot out from Dutch, leaving a circle around him. The circle reached out only inches from Trina's feet, startling her. She took a step back and watched as Dutch shot up in the air, her back hit a sharp point on a nearby rock that would have killed her had she been blown into it. "What in the…"

"Trina, baby, he's coming your way!" She looked back to see Dutch flying towards her, stretching his hands out. Her eyes widened and she quickly rolled to the side, letting him fly into the rocks. The man flew out and growled at Holly.

"You will shut your mouth bitch, before I do it for you!"

"Oh you do _not_ talk to my momma that way!" Trina jumped up onto the point of the rock that almost impaled her, then pushed off towards Dutch. He looked back in shock as she slammed a fist down into him.

"Shit!" As he flew into the ground, Trina landed beside him on one knee and with her palms to the ground. Holly cupped her hands over her chest and smiled at Trina with a proud and joyous expression.

"Mom don't let that go to your head."

"I'm not, I'm just happy you care enough to defend me like that."

"I know. It surprises me too." She clicked her tongue as Dutch started to push himself up. She kicked her leg out and spun in a circle, striking Dutch in the face and sending him hurtling in the opposite direction. "I'm trying to keep you from getting killed here. So please don't piss off the angry ghost!"

John removed his gun from his holster and pulled the hammer back, "Trina, your mother will be fine. Focus on the guy in the air." She twisted around to see Dutch high in the sky with his hand stretched out towards her. Several violent tornadoes began to surround them and move in for her. Thinking fast, John fired a shot at Dutch, causing the man to lose his concentration and fly higher into the sky.

"I'm a bird John! You're going to have to shoot me!"

"That's what I'm aiming for, Dutch!" Dutch spread his wings out like an eagle and began gliding through the sky. Trina stood beside John as Holly moved up onto the other side of him. John clenched his teeth as he began shooting for the man, his shots missing with each fire.

"Damn it hold still."

"What happened John? I thought you were such a good shot!"

"Go to hell!"

"Been there, John. I'd love to pull your family down with me, it's like a nice eternal summer vacation! They would love that!"

"No they would not!" He fired off another gunshot and John reflected it back with a blast of air. Trina's eyes widened as the bullet flew right past her head, barely missing her. Unfortunately the blast of air did strike her and sent her colliding into a nearby tree. Pain surged throughout her body, causing enough turmoil to make her scream out as she held onto her left arm. She feared it might be broken as it was tender to the touch. Holly cried out to her and started to run for her, but Dutch blasted her out of the way.

"Mom!" Trina watched as her mother bounced along the ground. She grabbed her arm and strained herself to get up, growling as Dutch landed in front of her. "You asshole." She ignored the searing pain in her arm and lifted it up, grabbing Dutch's collar. Her free hand clenched and pounded into him. The man doubled over in pain as Trina stood over him. "Don't ever strike my mother. I don't care if she is a nuisance, you do _not_ strike my mother!" She slammed her fist down onto his back, shouting angrily with each blow she dealt.

In a sudden movement, Dutch reached out and grabbed her by the neck, then proceeded to slam her up against the tree. Her hands flew to his arm and she stared at him with wide eyes, stunned that he could actually touch her and she could _feel_ his hands. "Surprised? When you're a ghost, you can do many things whether aware or not. One of which includes being able to grab onto things. Usually only the stronger ghosts can do this, sometimes ghosts that do not realize they are as such can too, kind of like the babies that are much stronger than they look."

"Unhand my daughter this minute!" Trina's eyes widened as Dutch glanced over his shoulder. In one foul swoop, Holly pulled John's golden Oblivion gun from his hand, practically knocking him over in the process, then fired a shot directly into Dutch's head. A cold chill ran down Trina's spine as the man before her fell to his knees and landed on the soft ground. Trina remained frozen in place as her mother ran up to her and hugged her.

She stared straight ahead at John, who was giving her an apologetic frown. Trina had never been able to touch John's gun, no living being could. Of course, LA wasn't supposed to have phone service either, why hadn't she seen this? "N-No…I-I don't-Mom?"

"Yes dear?" John hadn't found her mother's car anywhere, there must have been a reason for that. Then what he told her earlier, it was all starting to come together. Her heart began to break, shattering as Holly took a step back and peered at her with genuine concern.

"Mom…what…what's your biggest regret in life? Do you-You don't still feel guilty…wait.."

"I had to see you. Everything changed because of how I acted after your ex. I didn't treat you right, I told you that."

"You've harbored that all these years? I-Mom when you went to LA, what happened?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she studied her mother. "When you first entered, did you notice anything strange? Vibrations, tremors, anything at all?" Holly struggled to remember and moved her finger to her chin.

"Well I was driving to LA and over this bridge." There was a bridge over a lake that bordered LA and the next town over, it was where the line sectioned off the unconscious dreamers and the conscious. "I felt a tremor once I passed the middle of the bridge, the car swerved into the lake and I swam out. Why?"

Trina's stomach clenched and she cupped her hand over her mouth, whimpering into it. "No…" Trina looked to John, holding back her sobs as Holly asked why she was upset. "Grandpa, she's not-she can't be-you…you knew?"

"I'm sorry," John bowed his head. "It's best not to alert them until they've achieved what they're holding onto. Your mother did it naturally without guidance."

Holly looked between the two of them, beginning to grow concerned. "What's going on? What are you two talking-" She looked down to the gun in her hand, then over to Dutch's body. "I wasn't supposed to be able to grab this…was I…"

"Mom, why didn't you go to Tori? Why did you come to me…it doesn't make sense."

"Tori doesn't need my protection. I've never been there for you, you needed me to protect you." Trina felt her knees beginning to buckle as her mom's eyes started watering. "I-I-I can't be dead. I don't…I wanted to see you. I wanted you to know I loved you, that I was proud and I should have been there…should have been there for you. When you were fifteen and you needed your mom, I should have-"

"Why would you keep that all these years? Just…it doesn't matter anymore, momma." Holly frowned as Trina pushed herself up, trembling as she stepped forward and slowly hugged her mother. Holly closed her eyes and hugged her back, holding her for a minute before her own mortality set in and Trina passed through her. Heaviness set in and Trina's breathing shuddered as she bowed her head. "I love you mom. I do, I know Tori does and Dad's only angry and hurt. They don't resent you. I-I don't resent you anymore either mom, you don't have to hold on. I'll be okay. I will."

"I know you will." She turned around as Holly lifted her hand up and gently caressed her cheek. "It's like I've said Trina, you've become so strong and independent. You're also compassionate and caring. You're a beautiful woman with a big heart. You don't let the bad things destroy you, you keep moving, and that's what makes you strong. You care about people and that heart is your beauty. I'll always love and be proud of you, baby. I know I wasn't the best mother to you or your sister in the last few years…and I'm sorry. Please let your sister know…I love her too. She didn't need me, I had to know that…that if something ever should happen, you wouldn't go your life resenting and hating me for the way I've treated you."

"I won't, momma."

"I have to go now, sweetheart. I know you'll be strong, I know you'll make it. Don't ever lose sight of who you are, or where you want to be in life. Live a long life, show your sister the things that are right, and take care of your father. He's not going to be strong forever. You're the strong one now, baby."

"I don't feel strong."

"I know you don't, but you are. You're incredibly strong and you have a spirit that can never be broken." Holly swept away Trina's tears and leaned forward, gently kissing her forehead. "I've always been proud of you and your sister. I'll always be here, watching over you sweetie…"

"Mom. Please."

"I love you, baby." Holly looked over to John, requesting that he show her the way to heaven as she was a lost. It was natural for ghosts in her situation, having only just found out they were dead, to not know how to cross over. John carefully walked over as Trina began trembling. "Goodbye, Trina…I know you will be just fine. Whenever you need me, I'm just one memory away…"

As her mother faded away, Trina fell to her knees and watched two tears fall onto the ground. She curled up into a ball and began to weep as her fingers clutched the grass. If this was a horrible dream, she wanted to wake up now.

She rolled onto her back and gazed up as the sky lit up with the same purity as Nuevo Paraíso had. Her tears blurred her vision as she raised her hand up to the sky and slowly curled her fingers to her palm as the spirits of West Elizabeth moved for the sky. "Momma…" Now, she was alone once more. Her voice broke as a mournful wailing filled the air and rain fell in a clear blue sky. Never before had she thought she'd lose her mother in such a way, she expected not to see her when she went to London, but she thought at least she'd still be there. At least in Holly's final moments, she truly loved her daughter.

Never did she think she would have to be so final, to say the one word that she never expected to darken her tongue. "…Goodbye…"

* * *

There are four chapters left. Tell me what you thought of this chapter, of the whole mini arc itself. I guess it turns out, you can't reenter LA until the ghostly curse is gone. As Abigail will point out, the future for Tori changed the instant she stayed with Sinjin and Courtney. Otherwise, Holly might have been saved.


	30. On to Armadillo

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 30 (On to Armadillo)

"The demons! They're gone!" Tori exclaimed as a bright light lit up the sky. They ranchers had been fending off another horde of demons brought on by one of the ghosts for quite some time now. David was still unconscious, but he had a full heartbeat and was definitely still alive. "Finally!" Sinjin ran past her, barking out orders to some of the ranch hands.

"Load up the car and let's get going!" Sinjin called out, "We're moving out! Let's get Mr. Vega in the back of that."

"What?" The ranch had taken a beating from the assault of the demons, and now it was starting to crumple. Deciding it best not to argue, she helped move her father to a the antique car so they could move. Sinjin got in the driver's seat as Tori sat in the back where David was positioned to sit upright, while still leaning onto her. Drew helped Courtney into the car and saluted them. They were stunned that he wouldn't be going with them, but there was yet another strange occurrence going on with the ranch.

"It's finally time for me to go," Drew replied, "Give my regards to Miss Vega when you see her." The man looked up to the sky as his body started to glow. He was overcome with joy. Bonnie hugged her father and held onto him, grinning from ear to ear. "Bonnie, I'm coming home now, aren't I. They did it? They freed this part…"

"Yes daddy, they did." Bonnie walked to the car and leaned in, "Thank you for everything you guys did. I'm going to go with Dad, so don't worry about me." Tori's eyes widened and Abigail appeared beside the car, beaming as Bonnie gestured to her. "Don't worry, you'll still have Abigail to guide you through to Armadillo. Cholla Springs, that region is all that's left of New Austin. Drive straight through and get somewhere safe, I think we're done with demons for a while."

"I'll do that grandma." Tori heard Sinjin speak with confidence, it was as though he knew what was happening. Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't, but he didn't seem as frightened as she or Courtney. Unless he was just putting on a front for them. "Thank you for everything. Grandpa Drew, thank you…I won't forget you sir."

"You'd better not," Drew laughed, "And don't forget your heritage. Because I_ will_ come back to haunt you if you do!" Sinjin laughed once and started up the car, taking a deep breath as he began driving.

"Okay girls…we're off to Armadillo." They all looked into the rearview mirror, gazing back as Drew and Bonnie stood with their arms around each others' shoulders and free arms waving. The two became bright as their bodies lifted to the sky with the rest of the ranchers.

The buildings began to crack and the wooden fence started to rot, "What's happening to the environment?" Courtney asked the question on Tori's mind and she looked to Sinjin for the answer. It was clear by his expression that he didn't know for sure. Abigail appeared in the trunk behind Tori, and crossed her arms.

"It's aging very rapidly. The buildings will rot, crack, fall to the ground. This part of the town will be newly discovered soon." Tori was in awe of this news, and in awe of all the spirits rising up into the sky. Then she saw something that startled her, though it was just a vision in her own mind. Her mother, rising into the sky, telling her not to be afraid and to be herself. She jolted back and looked to Abigail.

"Grandma Abigail, I think…I think I just saw my mother. Is that possible?" Courtney looked over her shoulder while Sinjin studied the rearview mirror. Abigail started to frown and slowly shook her head.

"I'm sorry Tori, I have received word…your mother is gone. She died trying to get back into LA." Tori gasped out and her eyes widened at the improbability of the situation. How was it possible when she saw a future living with her mother? This didn't make any sense! Her mother couldn't die! She couldn't!

"How is that possible? I went through a very real 'this is your future' thing where I was living with my mom! She-She can't die…" Her heart began to break as a soft whimper left her lips. "Mommy isn't dead. I-I know I said I didn't like her, but I never wished her-"

"I know. You see, the future is always changing. Even the smallest, most insignificant change can turn the entire future. Tori, had you not gone through what you did, you wouldn't have given a second thought to staying in this car when you awoke." Her eyes began to burn and ache as nausea pitted in her gut. She shook her head and clenched her eyes.

"What…do you mean?"

"You would have argued until Sinjin dumped you on the side of the road, telling you to walk back. Your mother would have found you while driving to LA and she would have discontinued her trip. Nobody has entered LA since the ghostly shroud has fallen over, and those that do enter it before the cloak is lifted…fall to tragedy. Your mother crossed over a bridge and lost control of the car…"

"No!" Her hands flew to her head and she let out a fierce scream. How could this happen? She didn't want this. She wanted a better future, one that didn't involve all that she saw, but she didn't think it meant her mother would lose her life for it! "I-I don't-it's not fair! Why was she even going back there?!"

"I know it's not. Your mother, she was holding onto five years worth of guilt." Sinjin raised his eyebrow, clearly remembering something. "Holly and Trina got into this awful argument five years ago, it changed the entire course of her own life, her behavior. She did things and said things that weren't right, and I think she wanted to make things right. She died before she could, but…I think she's at peace now."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she found Trina. I was in the spiritual realm while you all were dealing with those demons, so I saw their conversation. I saw them take out Dutch. Holly didn't know she was deceased at first…only until she saved Trina by shooting the man with John's gun did she realize…"

"So, they made up?"

"Yes."

"I see…" Tori started to smile and looked up front to Sinjin who was also smiling while Courtney was reaching back and taking her hand to reassure and comfort her. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. "Is that why Mom was acting the way she'd been all this time? Because she had a fight with Trina? That's what guilt she was harboring even in my 'real' future?"

"Yes…"

"And, she's at peace now? Not harboring the guilt? Because I…changed my future by staying with Sinjin and Courtney?"

"I know it sounds depressing-"

"It's okay." She shook her head and looked up towards the sky. "Trina needed mom more than I did, I think. I could see it in her eyes. I don't know why, I don't know what they fought over."

"It was a pretty bad fight," Courtney recalled. Sinjin cleared his throat as Courtney looked over to him. "Didn't she come to you back then? I don't know what it was about, I just know she was bawling her eyes out and cursing her mom."

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Sinjin shrugged as he turned the car to the left and drove carefully down a steep embankment.

"What was the fight over?" Tori inquired.

"Not for me to say, Tori. If she wants to tell you, she will. Otherwise, it is not important for you to know."

"Must be pretty bad then…but I understand, I can respect that. I'm glad, even though it was like this, that they made up. I think knowing that, I can be okay with this. I don't like it, but as long as they're okay…"

They came to Armadillo and Tori watched as the town's Marshall went riding a horse out of town. Sinjin nearly ran over the guy, but stopped in time. "Wonder where that guy's going off to in a hurry?"

"Probably chasing a bandit."

"Maybe." Sinjin parked the car beside a stagecoach and stepped out, smiling at the man on the coach studying the car with wide eyes. "Good day sir, we were looking for a room. However, we'd also like to get my friend's father to the doctor."

"Doctor is beside the general store, sir…" The driver pointed a ways off and Sinjin returned to the car after thanking him. They didn't want to carry the unconscious man all the way across town, so it was better to drive. He moved the car to a large building with a doctor's sign over it. The doctor stepped out of his wooden swing doors and eyed the car curiously.

"So you bring one of those horseless carriages into town?" The doctor bowed his head and crossed his arms while Sinjin stepped out. Tori and Courtney opened the door and the doctor's eyes fell onto David. "That man…is that Mr. Marston?"

"No sir." David did look quite a bit like John, so it was an understandable mistake. "He needs to recover though. This is my girlfriend's father. David Vega. This here is my sister Courtney, and my friend Tori, David's daughter."

"All right. Girls, bring the man in." Tori wasted no time helping the man carry her father into the clinic. Right now, this doctor was the best bet. "By the way sir, there are rooms in the saloon if you're looking for a place to stay."

"Thank you." Sinjin leaned back against the car and started to smile as he looked up into the sky. A man with white hair and a white moustache walked over to him from the general store. "Hello there sir."

"What do you think you're doing bringing one of those uppity horseless carriages into town? You think you're too good for us, boy?" Sinjin turned to get a better look at this man. He raised an eyebrow as the man shook his fist at him. "Damn you city people, trying to modernize us and whatnot."

"If you excuse me, I was trying to get my girlfriend's father to the doctor. He's been injured. This was the best way to carry him."

"Since when? God imagine a world where horses don't exist! I swear it's almost as unfathomable as blacks and women getting the right to vote!"

"Excuse me?" He felt a powerful anger coming through him as he glared at the man, resisting the urge to smack him around. "You wouldn't be this one guy I've heard of, Herbert Moon? I heard he insulted my girlfriend a while back…" The man froze on the spot and raised up his eyebrows.

"Huh?" Sinjin leaned over the hood of his car, eyeing the elder square in the eyes.

"Well I heard there was a racist and bigoted chauvinistic asshole living in Armadillo, and when my girlfriend came in, this man insulted her pretty badly. Worked up her emotions and all that. Apparently he's a store owner and goes by the name of Herbert Moon. I was hoping to maybe run into him, see why he is the way he is."

"Y-Your woman wouldn't be a strange-clothes wearin' girl by the name of Trina, would she?"

"Yep that's her." Sinjin leaned his forearm against the hood and stretched out his right arm, pressing his palm against the car. His eyebrows wagged and his lips turned up into a bright smirk. "I was hoping to find this 'feller'. You know how powerful the engine in one of these 'horseless' carriages are? Or how much they weigh?"

"N-No sir…" The man began to fidget and tremble, a sure sign. Sinjin closed his eyes and pat the car.

"Well it's nothing like the cars you see in the 2000s, that's for sure. The Model T you see here, I know every nook and cranny because my ancestor kept it around. It has a three speed transmission and can go up to 45 miles an hour. The cars we have today can go up to 120 miles an hour. That's a lot more force than a horse. These babies can also way up to 1000 pounds or more of cold hard metal." He walked around to the front end of the car and pointed towards it with pride. "This would be the first thing you see, and very well the _last_ thing you see before getting hit by a car."

"Really now?"

"Oh yes. Now what are the chances of survival, you ask? Well…" He chuckled lightly and closed his eyes. "You stand more chance of being trampled by a horse three times at top speed than being hit by a vehicle once at top speed." He pointed to the thin tires and wagged his eyebrows once more. "These tires? Why yes they will crush your body flatter than grandma's hot iron on a piece of cloth."

"Ouch…" Herbert swallowed hard as he stared at this machine. Sinjin laughed lightly as he leaned up against the car.

"Now imagine riding inside the car at top speed. The Model T has no seat belts, and I do not expect you to know what that means. Seat belts were not around until the 1950s. Even then, not every car had them. Crashing, even slamming on the breaks could send a person flying out of the car at top speed, breaking their necks even. Wouldn't it suck to go through that over, and over, and over again? I mean just imagine! How many times would you be sent flying by one of these things, feeling the pain every time? I got to say, it's probably a tremendous pain. Go on sir, try to move this car. It's not like a horse you can move. Go ahead, it won't bite."

"O-Okay?" Herbert reached underneath the car and strained himself trying to lift the heavy vehicle. His face began to turn red and his breath grew shallow. "I-It won't budge!"

"That's because it is extremely heavy. Like I said." Sinjin clicked his tongue and hung his elbow over the ceiling of the car. He looked off into the distance as Herbert stood beside him. "Now Herbert, let me give you a little history lesson. Granted, history for me, future for you. I recognize some of your features, so I got news for you…big news…"

"What's that?"

"Well first of all. We had our first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy elected in 1960. Women were granted the right to vote in 1920. All races, who are people too you big goon, were granted complete civil liberty by 1968 after the 'martyrdom' of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. was taken down by an assassin's bullet. We've had our first black president, Barack Obama just elected in 2008. But none of this is the big news yet…"

Herbert started to pale as Sinjin's smirk increased. "Nothing?"

"Nope not at all." Herbert looked away for a second, then back to him, whimpering. "I did some digging while at the MacFarlane ranch. Drew MacFarlane and I went out into Nuevo Paraíso after it was recently liberated, and I was pleased to see I had enough data to do some online homework. Called up a friend of Trina's, Melinda Gordon and did some research on this man they call Herbert Moon. Ancestral background, found out some amazing stuff that I bet this bag of hot air doesn't realize. Did you know Herbert Moon has never actually met a Catholic, a British, a Jew, an African American, and apparently as of my girlfriend, never met a real woman either. He doesn't seem to know his own history either!"

"What are you spouting off?"

"I'm saying that we found out Herbert Moon's grandfather helped slaves to freedom for one thing." Herbert's eyes started to widen as Sinjin crossed his arms and tilted his head to the side, sighing heavily. "Herbert's grandmother was an adamant women's rights activist. This guy's also got a descendent that married interracially, one who is a very powerful lawyer, a woman of course…and a descendent I know indirectly through my girlfriend's little sister, who just so happens to be half Jew. One of the people that Trina is working to _save_."

Herbert was speechless and looked ready to blow as all these facts swirled about his mind. Sinjin pat his car and turned to Herbert. "So if you see this Herbert Moon, you tell him…If I ever see or hear him disrespect my girlfriend, her sister, or any woman in general-any Jewish person, any Catholic, British, African American, Asian, Mexican, and so on…I will show him just how heavy this car is, and how many times he can be _crushed_ and his bones turned to dust before all that hot air inside of him is out for good."

"I-I-I-"

"So will you tell him? Will you tell him to stop being such an arrogant ass, or do I have to teach him the laws of physics as well as history? Seems he forgot the great men that died so that all these people he hates so much could have the freedoms they have and so rightly deserve!"

"Y-Yes I'll let him know!"

"And also, another thing…" Sinjin leaned dangerously close, his nostrils flaring out. "_Never_ tell my girlfriend that she should _submit_ to a man. Because that is the last mistake, Herbert Moon may make."

"Okay! I'll stop!" Herbert screamed and ran towards the general store, leaving a wet streak on the ground behind him. Sinjin chuckled and turned around, folding his arms over on the hood of his car.

He didn't really mean what he was saying, well, the violent parts. He didn't care for people like Herbert, but he would never actually run someone over with his car because they were an arrogant asshole with an inflated sense of superiority. "Ought to make an interesting tale to tell Robbie, but then again, I doubt he wants to know his ancestor was a racist."

Tori and Courtney walked out of the doctor's office and stared at him with curiosity, as if they knew he'd just scared the living hell out of the town bigot. "Um Sinjin, Dad's going to be okay," Tori remarked. "The doctor says everything's fine, he's just going to watch…Dad might wake up in a few hours."

"Great news! How are you holding up Tori?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your mom."

"Oh." Tori bowed her head and slowly lifted her shoulders. "I'm upset, and a little startled that her spirit went to see Trina, but I understand why. She had to make things right. I'm happy mom was able to move on, I just…it's going to take some time to get over knowing she's gone. I'm glad Daddy's going to be okay, and I'm really hoping to see Trina soon. You think she'll come by here?"

"Maybe, but then again after what she had to deal with regarding the town's store owner, I think she might avoid Armadillo until she has to."

"I guess. Anyway, I'm tired."

"Saloon should have a place to bed down." Sinjin opened the car door and looked to the Saloon down the way. "You girls go in there and ask for a room while I park the car. Since Trina's been here, if they ask about the way you two are dressed, just tell them you're Trina's sister. Last time Drew and I came here, I was told the town was pretty respectful to hre as a whole, minus one creep."

"Okay. See you soon then."

"Yep."

* * *

Sinjin sure laid it in thick on old Herbert there. Tell me your thoughts of the chapter.


	31. A Cursed Land, Finally Free

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 31 (A Cursed Land Finally Free)

Trina wiped her tears away as she rode on Shadow. Her breathing was labored and her body tense. One ghost remained, but she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with him. She knew she had to, and she would, but her emotions where too far out of sync that she couldn't be sure that she could focus one more fight. "You can do this," She told herself in an attempt to pump herself up. "You do this you save your father. You find Sinjin, Tori, Courtney…All of Los Angeles and New Austin are counting on you. Shape up Trina. You got this."

She sniffled and choked up a light sob. Shaking her head, she took a deep breath and attempted to settle her trembling body. "Mom may be gone but it'll be okay. Focus on the task at hand, the last ghost in charge. Edgar R-R-oh god…" She clenched her fists around the rein around Shadow's neck and trembled violently. Trina took a deep breath and straightened herself up. "Okay relax. It isn't that bad, you can do this."

In the distance was Marshall Johnson riding his horse. He had a rifle in his hand and a satchel at his waist. Startled, she alerted Shadow to speed up. After some time, she caught up with him. "Marshall? Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"I found out where Edgar Ross's grave is."

"Where?"

"Lake Don Julio. I'm going to burn his bones and take him out. I can't take this waiting!" Trina was shocked by this man's determination, he had to know what he was doing was suicidal at best! These ghosts could tear his soul apart, they could thrust him into hell, or even push him into oblivion!

"Marshall! If you face him, you could die permanently! You'd never see your family again."

"Well that's a risk I'm willing to take if it means freeing these lands. I don't care what happens to me, what hell I go through, I'd rather go out fighting than sitting around feeling sorry for myself." Trina leaned back and watched his horse take off at a faster speed. She thinned her lips and looked down to Shadow, running her fingers through his thick mane.

"Is that what I'm doing? He wasn't talking about me, but…" Jack always described the Marshall as an inspiration, a courageous man who could move a mountain if he had to in order to get stuff done. "He won't be able to fight Edgar. Not without these gloves." She knew she'd been through hell, and a storm was coming that she was going to have to face whether it was on her own or not. She looked up to the skies and exhaled shakily. "I'm strong, right? I can't do anything if I'm sitting around. Moping. I have to take care of daddy, I have to be there for Tori. I can't…I can't be faltering now. You're right momma…I can do this…Nothing can break my spirit!"

She yelled out a signal for Shadow and raced after the Marshall. "Stay close Marshall! Don't do anything crazy yet, wait for me!"

When she caught up with the Marshall, he was beside a cabin overlooking the lake. There was a wooden cross overlooking the land. Truth be told she was terrified, truth be told she didn't know how capable she was of this fight or her chances for survival. There was more about this man that terrified her than what met the eye, but she didn't mention to anyone. In the time she'd known her ex, he'd only ever wanted to be called by his last name. She knew his first name, but that didn't matter to her now. None of it mattered. She had to move past the past the best she could, she would take down this ghost no matter what.

She stopped the horse beside the grave as the Marshall began pouring the oil down. "Trina, I thank you for all you've done…I want you to know that."

"No Marshall, I'm not letting anything happen to you."

"I have a confession to make…" Marshall pulled out a matchbook and stared down at the oil drenched bones. Trina gave him a look of concern. "The only thing standing between this land and total destruction is me. New Austin is the heart of this entire region and I took charge of it again because Seth gave me some medallion, it kept everyone in this land from being dragged to the pits of hell by these ghosts."

"What?"

Marshall tugged on a string around his neck and pulled out a gold coin with a blood stain on it. "Seth informed me upon finding this that the ghosts wanted to destroy it. He said he couldn't hold onto it so he gave it to me…said the ghosts wanted to send everyone here into the pits of hell, to burn…so I took on the responsibility. Now that I know the leader is the only one left…I'm going to take him out, or die trying."

"Well you're going to need me."

"Seth told me this medallion helps me to fight these things…I don't know why that is, I don't know how it works, but it's worth a shot."

"All right then. Burn the oil…" Marshall lit a match and tossed it into the bones. They took a step back as the fire exploded into the sky. Trina lifted her eyes up to see the sky turn blood red and the lake turn into fire. Her eyes widened as the entire scenery melted away into a mass of tiny flames. "Shit…Either we're in hell or this guy-"

"Controls fire?" A voice answered. The clouds in the sky broke and a ferocious molten horse came charging out, landing firmly on the ground. "Yes I do!" Trina froze as the grey haired, thick mustachioed man glared at them. Her body tensed and her emotions ran rampant as nausea and anger spiraled in her. This man, she didn't know this man, but the resemblance to her ex terrified her.

"N-No…" Her knees buckled and she fell to her hands. Marshall looked at her with great concern as she trembled, trying to fight the images of Ross bursting through her head. Edgar stared at her with a frown and closed his eyes.

"I'm terribly sorry for what my descendent did to you. Know that he and I are two separate people. However, don't think that I won't use this to my advantage." Her head flew up and her eyes widened as a ball of fire formed in Edgar's hand. She was paralyzed with fear, trying desperately to move as the man threw the fire towards her."

"Shirt!" Marshall jumped in front of her and fired a shot from his rifle, dissipating the fire. "Miss Vega! What are you doing?!"

"I-I can't…I can't fight him…"

"Then you both will die here," Edgar remarked. "Your ancestor Jack should have left well enough alone. When he came after me for killing his pa, that was where the Marston clan made their fatal mistake."

"Speaking of which, Miss Vega, where _is_ John?!" Trina shook her head, clenching her eyes shut as Edgar lifted his hands into the air. The fiery lake splashed out at them, scorching the Marshall's arm. The man screamed in agony, his scream tormented Trina. "Miss Vega!"

"I guess I am a perfect image of my grandson. For that, I am sorry. Also, I've blocked out any ghosts or spirits trying to zero in on my location. John Marston will not be stopping me as you have my past counterparts." Trina screamed as the memories tormented her mind. What was happening? It had been at least a year since the flashbacks were so painful. "Also Miss Vega, you'll have to forgive me for taking advantage of my grandson's sin…but you see…I can't take any chances."

"Coward!" Marshall fired a shot at Edgar, striking him in the left shoulder. Edgar winced and put his hand to his shoulder, staring in shock at the Marshall. "How dare you use a tragedy to control this poor woman…"

_Control?_ Trina's eyes shot open and scanned the ground. That's what these memories were for. Control. That's what her ex wanted, control. She clenched her eyes shut, fighting the urge to vomit. She opened her eyes back up, wincing as she heard the Marshall scream out, once more being hit by fire. Somehow this man was still standing guard in front of her. She studied her fingers, then the grass between them.

Safe. She was safe. This man wasn't her ex, she knew that. Her ex was gone. She recalled John firing his gun at the man, sending him to oblivion. All Edgar was doing now was throwing fire at them. In the corner of her eyes she saw him riding around them, leaving a circular trail of fire. The Marshall was bleeding, his skin slightly burnt as he continued to fire shots at the man.

"Miss Vega please get up and fight. I'm running out of bullets and energy. If you don't fight him, we'll both die here."

Edgar was only winning because she wasn't in control. She _needed_ to be in control. Her fingers slowly curled on the grass as the Marshall fell to his knees. He slammed the gun down into the ground and began coughing. "Miss Vega. Please. Help…" The Marshall looked up as the fiery horse stood before him. Edgar pointed a hand towards the man, smirking violently.

"Time to send you…into hell, Marshall Johnson…"

"N…" She strained herself to speak, pushing back the memories Edgar was forcing onto her. Ross couldn't control her anymore, and she wasn't going to sit around and mope. She was strong, she was in control, and she could fight. "No. You won't do anything to him, Edgar…You're not in control here." Edgar slowly looked over as she staggered to her feet, still trembling.

"What is this? You're up?"

"It was…five fucking years…It still hurts, but like picking off a band-aid, I have to move on. I did move on, the best I could, until that scumbag partner of yours pulled that man's sorry ass from Hell in an attempt to kill me. You know what, Edgar? I thought you'd be better than Williamson, but you're no better, if your only weapon is what that son of a bitch grandson of yours did. You can't control me any more than he can, and he can't control me anymore. My mind, my body, my spirit is _my own! I _am in control." She lunged forward, swiping her gloved hand through Edgar's fiery horse, and with it she pulled out the brain. She tossed the brain to the ground and watched as Edgar collapsed with his horse.

"You little!" Edgar slowly pushed himself up, growling as Trina clenched her fists.

"I'm stronger than you, stronger than_ him_. The reason I want to be a police officer is to keep people like your grandson off the streets. I'm not going to let what he did to me control me, I'm going to stand up…and I'm going to fight as hard as I possibly can. Because I'm strong, strong enough to move on with my life!"

Trina threw a fist towards him. Edgar dodged to the right, staring with wide eyes as she threw another fist.

"You can't beat me, you can't bring me down, and you're not going to." She turned to the side and kicked out, striking him in the chest. Edgar fell backwards and grabbed for a nearby stone. "It's ironic, how the tables have turned though, Edgar. According to Jack, Grandpa John was the outlaw and you were the lawman. Now, I'm the lawman and your grandson was the outlaw, but what more? Because you think you can use _my suffering_ against me, it makes you just as bad. Well I'm not going to allow it!" She shot her knee up, striking him in the abdomen.

Tears were streaming down her face as she waited for him to stand. He was breathing heavily, sneering as the wind blew past them. "You're right. It was wrong of me to do that to you. I am not a man that would condone of such a sin, and my grandson will be forever paying for his crimes, getting the justice he deserves. I do not care what happens to him, I would sooner tear him from my DNA and reject his name than I would accept him for such a sin. That doesn't mean that I will not tear the Marston family apart. You say what my grandson did does not define you-"

"It does not define me anymore than what my great grandfather Jack did to you."

"Then do not label me an outlaw for what my grandson did."

"I'm not. I'm labeling you an outlaw for what you did to the people of New Austin, West Elizabeth, and Nuevo Paraíso."

"Fair enough. Will you kill me for what my grandson did?"

"No. Because that also does not define how I feel about you. I am a lot stronger than what he did to me. I can stand, I can move forward. You? You won't get the chance." Edgar lunged for her, spreading his hands out as fire rushed along his arms. Trina stood strong as the Marshall rose behind her and aimed the gun for Edgar.

The Marshall winced as he fired off a shot that missed its mark, but it did enough to make Edgar hesitate. In this moment's hesitation, Trina let out her loudest war cry and delivered two powerful kicks, one into Edgar's chest and the other into his jaw. The man let out a scream as he fell back into the fiery lake.

She stood at the edge of the lake, glaring into it while listening to Edgar's violent screams while cursing her family name. "Like your grandson, Edgar…You can't hurt me or my family anymore. If you think to crawl out of hell, I'll be waiting to put you away again"

The lake and the sky began to return to normal and Trina's heightened emotions and frayed nerves were beginning to fade. She moved her hand to her forehead and groaned softly as she swallowed the bile down her throat.

"Miss Vega." She heard someone coughing and looked over to see the Marshall on his knees using his gun for support. She hurried over to him and helped him to his feet, putting her arm around her shoulders. The man gave her a smile and closed his eyes. "That was good fighting there, ma'am. You will make a great lawman, or should I say, lawwoman, one day. I am sure your father, and your ancestors are proud of you."

"I hope so. I really do. Let's get you out of here and start back for Armadillo…"

"Miss Vega."

"Don't talk too much, you're hurt."

"Ma'am."

"What?" She paused as the sky began to light up and the Marshall started glowing as the others. He moved away from her, standing tall as the sky parted and his wife and grandchildren, including his youngest, appeared for him.

"My family…" Tears ran down his face as he spread his arms out. "You've saved us all. Now I can reunite with my loved ones." Trina started to smile and turned to see Seth sitting on the top of the nearby hill, glowing white as well. Seth flashed a bright smile and waved his fingers in the air.

"I'll be paying a visit to Erwin soon!" Seth cheered. "You've made us all find our faith."

The Marshall looked over his shoulder and winked at her, "I hope you'll find your faith and strength as well."

She crossed her arms and started to smile as tears welled up in her eyes, "I already have, Marshall. Go now, go to your family."

"Thank you again, from all of us in New Austin, Nuevo Paraíso, and West Elizabeth. Thank you."

John appeared, finally, beside Trina. He was anxious and agitated, "Trina what happened! I couldn't locate you for some reason!"

"It's okay now grandpa. I'm okay, the Marshall is safe, and New Austin…" John looked up to the skies, then to the Marshall with a smile. The Marshall tipped his hat to John, and John did the same, an endearing sign of respect between two lawmen. "What's left, Grandpa?"

"Well since I couldn't find you, I went in pursuit of your father. I know where they are, all of them."

"And?"

"They're safe." Trina was overwhelmed and relieved to hear the good news. John still appeared worried and concerned, but he needn't be. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yes. Please, tell me where my dad is."

"In Armadillo. With Sinjin, Tori, and Courtney." She put her hand to her chest and gazed up to the sky with great appreciation. "Apparently Bonnie woke Sinjin somehow, and he drove Tori and his sister out of LA, which woke them. I'm not exactly sure what happened with your father, but he's safe as well."

"Thank god…They're all okay…" She was more than ready to see them. After that harrowing experience, she wanted nothing more to fall into their arms.

"What happened back there? Why couldn't I locate you?"

"It was something Edgar did, he made that area hidden from any ghosts or spirits. Marshall and I took care of things."

"Well. I'm proud of you, I'm glad you held your own out here. Let's get you to Armadillo, I'm sure the others are waiting for you."

"Do they know?"

"Er…not yet…"

"Well let's move then." She walked with him towards Shadow and stopped to take in the scene, smiling to herself. "Also you were right about something." He raised an eyebrow as she stretched her arms above her head and watched the souls rising into the sky. "No matter how tainted, no matter how cursed this land ever was, it will always be a strong and beautiful land."

"I'm glad you see that."

"I'm sure this land will be modernized, there will be times it may not seem so strong, so beautiful, but I think it always will be."

"Just needs to be reminded once in a while."

"Yeah, every once in a while."

* * *

Trina has singlehandedly defeated the final ghost. Well with the help of the Marshal. What are your thoughts of this chapter?


	32. A Town Reduced to Rubble

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 32 (A Town Reduced to Rubble)

"Wake up!" Sinjin burst through the bedroom doors and ran to the twin beds that Tori and Courtney were asleep in. He tried to shake them awake as the building began to rumble, they were on the upper floor of the Saloon. "Get up, the Saloon is going down." Tori opened her eyes and moaned while Courtney mumbled something in her sleep. Sinjin cursed under his breath and looked to the cracking, rotting walls. "Shit…"

Thinking fast, he grabbed both the outside arms of the girls and pulled them from the bed. They let out a loud scream and shot to their feet. Tori brushed her hair back and glared at him, "What are you doing! That was the first good nap I had in a long time! I don't want to do more running in this desert." Sinjin looked down as the wood beneath his feet started to soften. Courtney followed his gaze and her eyes widened.

"Tori I don't think it matters, let's run!" Tori peered down and screamed at the rotting wood. She and Courtney both ran ahead, but as they did, chunks of wood fell to the ground. Sinjin cringed as he tried to circle around the holes left by the girls. "Brother!" A violent crash caught his attention and pulled him towards the stairs, there was now a huge hole between him and the edge of the stairs. Courtney and Tori were already on the other side, having crossed over before the fall. "Sinjin! Can you make it across?"

"It doesn't matter! Just get out of the building!" The girls immediately bolted for the front doors. Sinjin's heart pounded as he watched them, desperately trying to figure out how he was supposed to get out. To his left, there were double doors leading out to a balcony, he could try to get out that way and jump off.

As he turned for the doors, his segment of the upper balcony began to shake. Instinctively he grabbed the wooden railing and screamed as the entire floor started to fall. He heard Courtney call his name and looked over to see a pile of rubble blocking their exit. The girls were also stuck beneath it. His eyes widened as he cursed and let the floor fall to the ground. Once there, he pulled himself up and began limping over to the girls.

"Sinjin it hurts!" Courtney cried out. "Help!"

"I can't move my leg!" Tori screamed, "It's stuck under the rubble!"

Sinjin looked up to the ceiling and growled, "Hang in there you two. I'll get you out of this mess." Sinjin hurried as fast as he could limp to get the girls. All the while he could both hear and smell the rotting wood all around him.. He clenched his teeth as he reached out for his sister's hand. He heard a loud crackling noise and slowly looked up towards the ceiling. "Fuck…"

Outside, David had awakened and moved from the doctor's office. He stood strong with his shoulders broad and his jaw firm as he saw the many spirits around him rising up into the sky. "What have I been missing?" His head was pounding and his body felt as though it had been on fire. He scratched the back of his head and looked around at the Old Saloon that was beginning to cave in. "I'm in the old west? I need to get home to my kids…"

"You there!" David flinched as a white haired man came staggering out of the collapsing general store. The man smirked and tilted his head. "I just realized the name Vega. Our savior has a Mexican name. No wonder she doesn't act like women should, she's not even bloody American!"

"Excuse me?" David raised an eyebrow at this man and turned towards him. "Do you even know who I am?"

"I know you are the father of that woman that rode through town." When was Trina here? Not to mention, where was here, and who was this man? To his surprise, the man moved a rifle from his back. "A woman so outspoken should learn her place in society, she shouldn't get what she's been trying to find, and that is you. Shooting you before I go ought to teach her some manners!"

David rolled his eyes and flinched as the saloon collapsed. He felt a streak of terror before looking over to the man. "What's going on here?"

"Our cursed land is free. That woman has been trying to rescue you and her family. That sister of hers is in there with that man, apparently a boyfriend that doesn't know how to control his woman."

"I am getting a little tired of hearing you talk." David felt for his hip, stopping once he felt of his gun. "I am a Deputy Police Chief in the city of Las Angeles, California. Put down your weapon. There's no cause to be insulting my family." Herbert laughed wildly and pulled the hammer back on his gun.

"I'm doing my part to clean up America."

"God bless my daughter for saving someone like you…" Seeing that this man was nowhere near putting his weapon down, David pulled his gun and shot the gun out of Herbert's hand. The man screamed out and David closed in on him before he could reach the rifle. Thinking fast, he pulled a pair of handcuffs from his back pocket and cuffed Herbert. "Stay down!" He dug his knee into Herbert's back and listened as the man screamed out profanities. "I've dealt enough with scum like you in my thirty year career, do you _really_ think I care what you have to say"

"I'm Herbert Moo-"

"I honestly don't give a shit who you are. You've insulted my daughter, and for some reason, I get the feeling you've caused her some sort of distress. If that's the case, you've made an enemy today."

"You really are John Marston's grandson…"

"No shit, Sherlock, now show some respect. Where's the town jail?"

"No matter, my soul's goin' to hell anyway. At least it beats sitting here for one hundred years." David watched as the man began to fade, his soul and body sinking into the ground.

"Great…now I'm alone without any idea of what the hell is going on." He put his hand up to shield his eyes as he gazed out of town. In the distance he saw a horse running towards the town The rider had long brown hair and seemed rather young and petite. Instantly he recognized the rider as his daughter. "Trina?"

She rode into town, her eyes falling instantly on him. "Daddy!" Trina cried out and jumped off her horse, rushing for her father. "You're okay!" She threw her arms around him and buried her face into his chest. He hugged her back, laughing nervously.

"Why wouldn't I be all right, sweetheart? What's been going on?"

"A long story…I'm just glad you're safe. How?"

"I don't know. I woke up in this town…got attacked by a crazed man stuck in the past, and have no idea where I am. Looks to be the old west. Like Grandpa Jack's tales."

"Yeah, that's right." David raised an eyebrow as Trina held him tighter. "I'm just glad you're okay." She lifted her head and looked over her shoulders, frowning as her eyes scanned the buildings, all now turned to rubble. "I was told Sinjin was here with Tori and Courtney…do you know where they are?"

"No, I'm sorry."

"But…" She frowned and took a slow step back. David spotted Sinjin's old car beside the saloon and his heart screeched to a halt. Trina's eyes fell onto the car and her face began slowly turning to horror. "N-N-No! Not after all this!"

"Tri-"

"No!" Trina bolted for the saloon and David ran after her. "Sinjin don't you dare do this to me! Don't you do it! I didn't go through all this hell, missing you like shit for you to have a building collapse on you! Sinjin!" Her scream echoed through the air.

David finally caught up with her and moved his hands to her shoulders as she stopped in front of the saloon. He could feel his heart pounding as he felt an urge to start digging through the rubble. Trina leaned into him, still staring with disbelief and sorrow at the house. He heard the sound of wood rotting and splintering, which startled him.

"Trina, do you hear that?"

"Hear what…"

"That wood, it's still-" A loud crash erupted from the pile of rubble behind the wall. Sinjin emerged with Courtney beside him and Tori between the two, her arms over their shoulders. Tori groaned lightly and turned up a smile when she saw Trina. Trina moved her hand to her chest and breathed in as Sinjin flashed a mild smirk.

"Hey there," he stated in his typical low style greeting. Trina ran for him and threw her arms around his neck, weeping as she curled her fingers into his shirt. Tori separated from them and started to rub her sister's back as Sinjin gazed down at her. "Are you all right?"

"You don't know what I've just been through. You have no idea. I'm just happy to see you three, and daddy. I want to go home!" She looked up into his eyes, her heart pounding heavily in her aching chest. "What are you even doing here? How did you get here? How's dad safe? I thought he was-"

"Trapped in a cemetery? Yes, yes he was. Did everyone at the MacFarlane ranch band together to save him? Yes, yes we did." She slapped his chest and tightened her grip around his neck as she placed her head down beneath his chin. Sinjin could sense her distress as her body trembled when he held her waist. He kissed the top of her head and lowered his voice to a whisper. "What about you? Are you okay?"

"I am now." She wiped her eyes and looked over to her sister. "Tori."

"I'm with you Trina, I want to go home. You can explain everything on the way back, and so will I." Tori hugged her, then hugged Courtney. "I…I have to have a talk with my friends when we get back."

"Grandpa John says it's going to take a while for them to wake up. Everyone in LA is dealing with the mental trauma of what happened, so…I don't know when they're going to wake up. We'll have plenty of time to get there without everyone freaking out." Trina took Sinjin's hand and took a deep breath. "No offense Courtney, but I am riding shotgun with Sinjin…"

"You've earned it," Courtney replied.

David walked over, still confused and eager to hear what all occurred. Needless to say, the trip home was going to be a hell of a journey. Maybe, by the sounds of it, the least troublesome part.

* * *

Well now we have two chapters left to deal with.


	33. Tori's Friends Awaken

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 33 (Tori's Friends Awaken)

Everything was explained in great detail on the way home, so by the time they arrived, the entire car was silent. Trina knew her car was essentially lost to the lands since they never found it while looking around Gaptooth Ridge or Rio Bravo, so she was going to have to deal with that.

Sinjin parked beside the diner where the friends were still unconscious, like most of LA. Tori, Courtney and David climbed out of the car. Trina put her head to Sinjin's shoulder and cupped her hand in his. "I still don't want to go in there. I've dealt with plenty ungrateful people. Tori's dream…Tori's 'reality' scares me."

"Your father will be there, I'll be there, and Tori said she's not going to go into great detail about how she knows any of this." This was true. Because Tori knew they were having nightmares, she knew they'd believe her when she explained her reality checks. She'd have to tell them she discovered from those. Either that, or explain that her father told her. They wouldn't dare touch her dad. "What about Beck?"

"I'm concerned he _knows_. I know John said he heard Ross's name, and that he knew nothing of it. I don't want them to know what happened to me, Sinjin." She closed her eyes and felt him reach up and caress her cheek. His touch soothed her, keeping her calm despite her own fears. "What if they know? What if they say mean things about it? I didn't deserve what happened to me, Sinjin. It wasn't my fault, I know it wasn't. I'm strong, but I don't think I'd be strong enough to fend off their comments…" She was scared that if Beck knew, then he would tell the others. That included Tori, who didn't know yet, and she was in no way ready to let her sister know about it.

"It will be okay, Trina. I'm sure he doesn't know."

"Beck's smarter than we give him credit for. So are the others, if he even mentions…do you think there's a chance they-"

"It will be okay. No matter what happens, you know I'm here for you. I love you, more than anything." She felt him kiss the top of her head. Her eyes fluttered open to see Tori waving at them from the diner.

"You love me?"

"More than life itself. You're an amazing woman, Trina. Strong, independent, beautiful, smart and sassy. Compassionate, and all the things that I love about a woman." Her heart skipped a beat as she looked into his eyes. She could feel her heart pounding as she leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips. This, she felt comfortable with. She knew she was secure and safe with him, that she could trust him.

"I love you too. Though…I'm still scared of a few things. You really think we'll be okay?" He smiled at her and tucked his finger under her chin, running his thumb along the crevice beneath her lips.

"Of course. I know you can handle anything, and if there's ever anything you fall on, you have me to fall back on. I'll always support you, and when it comes to certain issues…you know if you ever need anyone to talk to, I will always be here to listen. I won't judge, I won't 'advise', I will listen and care about you. When you need to cry, when you need to be strong, I'll support you because that's my job, right? Boyfriends do that. So no matter what happens in there with Tori's friends, know that I'm right by your side. For better and for worse."

She hugged him close and shut her eyes, breathing out slowly. "Thank you…" Sinjin hugged her back as she looked out the window. Tori was looking in through the door and still motioning for them to move. "I guess we should probably get inside."

"Yeah."

Once inside, they saw a terrifying sight. Cat was kneeling beside the other friends, her face buried into her hands as she wept over Jade. Jade was laying with her eyes open, scanning the area above her. She was covered in bruises and scrapes, her body was trembling. Nearby, Robbie was sitting up against one of the seats, holding his legs. When he awoke, he'd thrown Rex halfway across the room, they could tell as the puppet was on the other side of the room with its head popped off its body. He was drenched and coughing up water. Andre was curled into a ball and trembling as well, half of his face was dark purple, and tears were piling up under him. Beck, however, was the worst off. Beck was laying on the ground, shivering as his eyes scanned his surroundings. Blood and cuts littered his entire body and David was working to use a towel to compress an open wound on Beck's side. The boy's head was covered in deep bruises and his hands were trembling on the ground while his lips quivered.

"They're in really bad shape," Tori said, "All of LA is just now waking up, so I don't think there are any ambulance drivers anywhere…"

"Beck needs an ambulance."

"B-Beck?" Jade cringed as she slowly reached her bruised hand out for him. "Beck…Beck…I've been running so long…"

"I came in and they were all like this," Cat sobbed, "I didn't know what to think. I was in hell, they turned into monsters and chased me. I came in here after waking up and saw them all…messed up…what's happening?!"

"That's going to be a little hard to explain," Tori replied, "There are also things we need to discuss…"

"I don't think it matters how hard it is to explain." Cat looked over to the door and frowned. "I kind of want to get back to my roommate. I just feel like-"

"Oh just avoid us like always," Jade cried. "It's not like we're in any pain where we would like to have our friends beside us."

"But you guys are monsters! You were…You all turned into these dangerous people. Jade, you were like a serial killer and Beck? Beck turned into this gross, manipulating, womanizing de-" Beck startled everyone with a loud scream. His bloody hands reached up to his face and he began weeping.

"Okay everyone just relax," Trina said while holding her hands up. "The hospital's not far from here, I'm sure they're prepping rooms already

"I'm dying!" Beck screamed. "I'm dying! I was beaten by-by-" Beck's eyes widened and Trina held her breath. "I'm not-I'm not a womanizer. I'm not a-I would never…" Trina looked to Tori, who bowed her head.

"First things first, getting you all to a hospital…"

Several hours passed and the hospitals all over LA were stocked with crash victims. Even free clinics and specialty clinics like the common massage therapist or chiropractor were overstocked with people needing medical assistance. There were many who died when they fell asleep while driving or even flying an airplane at the time. LA was not without its tragedies.

Beck was the only one of Tori's friends still bedridden, so Trina and the rest were huddled around his bed in the room. All except Beck seemed willing to share their own versions of hell after Trina and Tori explained the situation.

"Never once did I think my words had such impact on people," Jade said in amazement. She threw her arms forward, revealing the bruises and cuts. "These…these were their wounds. That's what-what _she _said. My mom. My personal devil of hell…was my mother…I was turning into her."

"I never told you guys," Robbie was sitting in a chair, staring down at the floor. The others looked over to see a single tear falling down his cheek. "My brother, Rex-" They started to groan, but he threw his hands up in defense. "I really had a brother, that was his name! He died…when he was just twelve years old. He drowned. Ever since then…I treated that puppet like it was him. I-I didn't think I was tarnishing his memory or anything. I just…I went insane!"

"Insanity sort of runs in your family," Sinjin joked. Trina smacked him gently on the chest and put a finger to her lips. Robbie's eyes widened at the two of them.

"W-What do you mean?"

"What he _means_ by that," Trina was quick to correct Sinjin. As much as she didn't like these people, now was not the time to taunt them, not while they were down. "While I was out in New Austin, in the town of Armadillo was a racist, chauvinistic bigot. I um…kind of lost my control with him a little because of some things he said-but he was a very angry and nearsighted man. Hated Jewish people, women, and anything that wasn't him."

"He sounds like a bad person…"

"I think he was more misguided than anything. His name was Herbert Moon. He was…" Trina locked her fingers together between her knees and stared down at them. "He was your ancestor, Robbie." Robbie's eyes went large and Sinjin exhaled.

"In the end he accepted that his family in the future would become what he most hated and that his family before him was the same, so he stopped all the hate and gave everything a chance." She knew Sinjin was lying, but judging by the serene expression on Robbie's face, there was nothing wrong with it.

"At least he accepted it," Robbie replied, "Not that it would have mattered. Andre, Beck, are you two okay after your nightmares?"

"Hell no!" Andre's eyes were wide and he was hugging himself. "I'm glad to have my muscles back though. I was…being chased by my grandmother, she was built like an ox while I became frail, skeleton-like!" Trina fought back a smirk while Tori's eyebrows rose up. "I don't know why. Why would my grandma do that to me? I've never done anything to her." Trina moved her hand to her forehead as Tori shook her head.

"I have nothing to say," Beck's voice came out weak and strained. His finger tapped his leg and his cheeks were red and puffy. "I can't feel my legs, can't walk, and I can't feel my…I can't feel anything!" Beck moved his hands to his head, crying out again. Everyone was slowly getting used to his screams and blatant paranoia. His voice was already hoarse from all the screaming, so it was a matter of time before his voice was gone.

"It'll heal soon Beck," Trina said. "Well…not completely, but it will get better in time."

"How the fuck do you know?" She jolted back and Sinjin tensed, slowly curling his hand around hers. She took a deep breath as the others glanced warily at her before looking to the couple's interconnected hands.

"Oh god you're dating?" Jade asked. "Wow, I _never_ thought I'd see that happen. When did this happen?" Trina clenched her eyes shut. This was what she feared, the judgmental statements that she couldn't handle.

"We've been together two-almost three months, Jade."

"Is this like your longest relationship?" Trina deflected the comment, seeing it with two sides instead of one. It could be taken as an innocent question rather than a derogatory remark, she just needed to train her mind to see it that way. Beck moved his hands down, staring at the ceiling as Trina opened her eyes halfway.

"In a way, yes. Jade, Sinjin and I have known each other since I was ten, maybe a little before then. I haven't really seriously dated anyone since I was fifteen." Her lips thinned over as Jade's eyebrows rose.

"Why not?"

"Haven't been ready for the longest time. I tried to date a couple times, sure, trying to get back into the main scheme of things. I finally did, though Robbie and Cat remember that one guy…Anyway, I wanted to be ready to date seriously before I actually dated Sinjin."

"So you've always wanted to be with him or something?"

"Something like that. I feel…right with him." She wanted to add in the security part, but that was already a given.

"What about that time you pretended to date-"

"Jade," Beck groaned, "Shut up." Jade did a double take as the others looked at Beck in shock. "You're asking too many questions and she looks uncomfortable."

"Since when do you care?"

"Since I came out of Hell _bleeding to death!_ When do you think?"

"Sorry…I didn't mean anything by it. I just got a little jealous that's all." Jade looked over to Trina and started to smile, albeit weakly. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable for whatever reason. I'm…glad…you found someone that makes you happy." She felt Sinjin relax and was relieved as well. Jade looked to Tori, who was sitting beside Courtney. "Tori, what did you want to talk to all of us about?"

"Okay," Tori sucked in a deep breath of air and glanced nervously at Andre and Beck. "Well first, I want to introduce you to my best friend. Courtney." Courtney waved as the others studied her carefully. "I messed things up when I went to Hollywood Arts. It changed me, and I mistreated my best friend. Blew her off for you guys…In truth I've known her longer than I've known any of you, and we know more about each other than I thought I knew about you guys. Second, I want to ask that you guys accept my friends and family, treat them with the kindness and respect they deserve. That means no more sneaking off into my big sister's room and…dirtying her bed…"

"It makes me highly uncomfortable," Trina admitted while looking to Beck. "I know you've done it that one time out of revenge. Those stains don't come out…" Jade's eyes widened as she looked towards her soon-to-be-former boyfriend. Beck sighed heavily and lifted his arms up for a second before dropping them to his sides.

"I'm sorry Trina, I was angry and I wanted to teach you a lesson about pretending to date me."

"Yeah well it was bad enough when you tried to restrain me and _then _lied to my father."

"Which you chewed me out after, if you remember."

"Doesn't justify what you did to my bed."

"I know…"

"Moving on," Tori scratched her forehead and looked over to Andre. "Andre, I can't date you anymore. I'm sorry."

"What?!" Andre's jaw dropped and Tori breathed in slowly.

"I know what you've done to your grandma. I found out through my dad's old background checks that you get the cops called over on a regular basis for smacking your grandmother around, and I just can't accept that. I'm sorry Andre…" Andre put his hand to his chest, pleading with her.

"I can work on myself Tori! I can!"

"I know, but I'm also not the girl you think I am. I don't sleep around, I don't do half the things that you might think I do. I love animals, I love biology. Truth be told…" Tori put her arm around Courtney's shoulders and grinned from ear to ear. "I'm a nerd at heart. And forever a part of the-say it with me Court!"

Courtney laughed as the two girls shared their enthusiasm, "The annoying little sisters club." Trina rolled her eyes and Sinjin let out a dry chuckle.

"Ooh can I join that!" Cat asked while waving her hand in the air. "I got a big brother and I always bug him with stuff. He's in the army so he's overseas right now. He and Sam talk a lot, so I'm always asking them what they're talking about."

"Maybe Cat, maybe, you might have to submit an application."

Beck rolled his eyes and looked away for a minute, "If your dad background checked us, then that means you know-"

"About you trying to get your last girlfriend to have sex with you?" Tori's blunt response warranted Trina to cringe at the thought while Jade started to glare at Beck. Trina was beginning to feel uncomfortable and was ready to leave, but she still wanted to be there for her sister. "I know. I know Robbie was in the mental ward, and Jade…I understand you assaulting your mother, because you said she's abusive. Beck and Andre, I'm not sure if we should still be friends right now…I think you two and myself need to work on ourselves a whole lot first."

"Just like that, Tori?"

"No Beck, not just like that. If it was just that then I wouldn't stop the friendship. I just don't think I can handle what you've done. Restraining my sister, doing gross things in her room, pressuring not only your old girlfriend, but I know you've done that to Jade too. I'm not going to lie, there are things about you that terrify _me! _I'm afraid you're violent, you and Beck, and I'm afraid you'll hurt my sister."

"We wouldn't do that," Andre remarked.

"I don't know, maybe not but you did…or you would have…I was in a coma too and I went through this 'future' thing. A future that would have happened if I stayed the way I was…where Trina told me about you all, so you and Beck beat her up and put her in a coma. She died, then daddy killed himself. That was a very real, very possible future. So if you were capable of doing that in that future, and I know Andre, you've hit your own grandmother….then that means it's possible for you to do it in this future. Maybe we can be friends again in time, but right now, I want to keep my distance. I think Trina does too, judging by the way she's been looking lately…"

Beck moaned softly and closed his eyes, "Yeah Andre…Tori's got a point. I think she's right…we should keep our distance a while…"

"Why?!" Andre smacked his knee and looked offended as well as angry. "We've been friends for a long time, why cut us off now?" Trina flinched while Tori moved her head back, groaning. David cleared his throat and stood up.

"If you need a reason, how about I give you one." David walked over to Andre and cleared his throat. "My daughter is asking that you respect her, respect her family, and respect her friends. She's asking you to give her a little space, some time to think things over. So you're going to give her that, because if you don't, I will throw you in jail the next time the cops are called out to your grandma's house, and it is there that you will _stay."_

"Okay, okay, I got it. Sorry…I didn't mean anything by it…" Andre slouched his shoulders and moved his head into his hands. "I feel like I just got a restraining order slapped on me…"

"You did. A verbal one. I can easily get a written one if you need it."

"No thank you sir, I'll stay away until notified that I can come around again…"

"Smart move," Beck commented. Trina was actually shocked Beck was being so calm now. Then again, he was acting as if he knew what Ross had done. She might be wrong about that, but she did not feel like bringing it up. As long as he kept to himself, that would be fine. "Tori. I can respect your wishes, as well as your sister's. I'll stay away from you until you feel comfortable talking to me again…Trina, I'm sorry. For everything."

Trina smiled sadly and nodded her head. "It's okay Beck. You dealt with the worst demon, I'm sure…you deserve to rest. I…need some fresh air." She stood up and looked over to Sinjin. "Sinjin, come with me? I want to walk with you for a bit. Tori's got this situation under control…"

"All right." He stood up and nodded respectfully towards the friends. At least they would all be able to heal. Trina didn't know when Tori would feel comfortable with Andre or Beck. From the sound of the dream she described on the ride back, Trina had to suspect it would be a while.

As Sinjin and Trina made it to the door, she stopped and looked back to Beck. "Beck, get well soon. You…You deserve a second chance. At least you didn't sink to the level of that devil, right?" Beck gasped softly as fresh tears welled up in his eyes. "You've seen what lies at the end of the tunnel…you're not like the devil, you have a chance. I don't hate you."

Sinjin moved his hand to the small of her back and as they left, she heard the others ask what she was talking about. Beck firmly replied that he had no idea, that it was nothing. She was satisfied in that. Now Tori's friends just needed to heal.

As they walked down the hospital corridors, they saw the parents running through. Beck's father, Cat's grandmother, as well as her roommate Sam, Robbie's mother, Jade's father, and Andre's grandmother.

"Thank you for being there," Trina said while leaving the hospital with Sinjin. He smiled back at her and kissed her right temple.

"Of course. It's nice of you to say what you did to Beck, I think."

"I had to give him some semblance of peace. If I'm able to move on, if we all can move on, I think he deserves a chance to as well. He's going to have a hard enough time recovering from the physical wounds. Even though that devil he dealt with _wasn't _that man, he still held that form. So I feel sorrow for Beck having to go through that."

"I can understand that. You did good in there, you know. Strong, I admire you. I think you have a lot more strength than I do."

"I doubt that."

"No, you do. Either way, let's just walk and enjoy each other's company."

Her heart skipped a beat and she linked her arm in through his while moving her head to his shoulder. The road to recovery is a long one indeed, but it's far better to go on it with the love and support of others than to go it alone.

* * *

So in the grueling aftermath everyone survived. They all suffered, and like the town of LA, it will take a while for them to recover. On last chapter, and it's the epilogue.


	34. Exciting Game of Poker

Outlaws and Lawmen

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious

A/N: The final chapter

* * *

Chapter 34 (Exciting Game of Poker)

"I'm going all in on this hand." Trina pushed her chips confidently towards the middle of the poker table with a fiendish grin. Tori sat to her right, Courtney to her left. Jade was on Tori's right while Cat was sitting next to Courtney. Robbie was beside Cat. Sinjin was sitting on the living room couch brushing up on a textbook regarding ancient history, he'd never been much of a poker player.

David stood at the kitchen table watching eagerly as the game went on. Tori studied her sister and put her cards face down. "I'm not even trying this time," she muttered, "Can't even read her!" Trina smirked as she recalled all the tips taught to her in Armadillo. Using the tricks, she almost never lost at games like Texas hold 'em. Sinjin raised his hand and waved it in the air while reading his textbook.

"This is why I do not play cards against her unless I'm certain I'm going to win! Whatever she learned in Armadillo, I swear, I want to know." Nearly a year passed since the events in New Austin. Many things had changed since then. "She's definitely mastered the poker face."

"Anyone else want to put their money in the pot?" Tori put her head against her hand and tapped her fingernails against the card. Jade flummoxed over her cards, raising her eyebrow while staring down at the cards on the table. The cards face up were a four of diamonds, three of hearts, and a five of spades. In Trina's hand she had a six of hearts and a seven of diamonds. "Jade? You? Got anything?"

"Er…I'll check."

"She raised the bet to all in, you either have to go all in or fold."

"Crap." Jade pushed her chips in and smirked at Trina. "Maybe she's bluffing." Trina wagged her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders. She never bluffed, or when she did, it was when she could tell the others didn't have anything. The people in Armadillo taught her to read the eyes and the body language.

Currently Courtney was biting her nails and studying the cards, moving her eyes nervously back and forth as sweat beads began forming at her eyebrows. In other words, the girl had nothing. Robbie was staring at his cards and slowly gazing at his chips, he didn't seem highly confident, but he did seem like he was contemplating. There was a possibility he had something. Cat on the other hand had her cards on the table and was sitting, bored, waiting for her turn. Trina's prediction, she was going to fold.

"Okay I'm all in." Jade pushed her chips and slowly looked to Trina. "Tell me you have nothing." Trina laughed as Jade folded her arms on the table and dropped her head down onto them.

In recent months, Jade's life had become substantially better. She lived with her father since her mom passed away during the tragedy in LA. The city was still re covering from the damages. Jade's abusive mom had been crossing the street when everyone fell asleep, an eighteen wheeler had been speeding down the road and overturned on top of the woman, crushing her.

She'd dumped Beck for good and began working on building herself a new life. She was attending college and was studying to be a guidance counselor and hoped to work at Safe Haven, a haven for abused women, men, and children. She currently had her eye on a boy in one of her classes.

Robbie had been doing much better as well, he'd given up his puppet for good and paid his brother his respects at the cemetery. He was seeing a counselor for his paranoia and was well on his way to recovery. "I think I'm going to go ahead and go all in." Robbie pushed his remaining chips forward and chuckled nervously. What do I have to lose? It's not much, I think I've been losing everything."

"It's really not all in," Courtney muttered, "She just has more chips than all of us. Her going all in just means she's betting more than any of us can afford."

"Hence why I folded," Tori laughed. "Seriously, Jade and Robbie are nuts."

"There's still a chance!" Robbie retorted in his defense. Trina snickered and grabbed her beer from the table. When she turned 21, her dad and Sinjin took her out for her first drink. It was a margarita, but she was more a beer drinker than anything. She preferred the smooth ales to anything else. "Look she's drinking, that's a sign of overconfidence."

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"Any time you get over confident, you drink." Robbie stared at the chips and started to mutter, "Maybe I should rethink those chips."

"Too late now," Cat set her cards face down, "I'm folding." Cat did keep her distance from the friends for a while, but about a couple months after the tragedy, she decided to hang out with them again. Once things settled down, of course. She and Robbie were an item now, they'd been dating for nearly four months. Her roommate, Sam, was dating Cat's military brother after his return overseas. "I know I have nothing, so your move Courtney."

"Great." Courtney managed to befriend everyone, even Jade, which was a shock to both Tori and Trina. She was still Tori's greatest friend, and the one Tori always went to no matter what, when in need of help or assistance.

Both girls were studying animal science in college, they were intent on opening a kennel one day and becoming animal rescuers. It was great for Trina to see the two still as inseparable as they were when they were kids, before all the madness of Hollywood Arts.

"You know what? Yeah, I'll do this." Courtney pushed all her chips in with an air of confidence and wagged her eyebrows. "Maybe luck will be on my side this time." She was surprised to see Courtney playing. Perhaps she misread the girl, or the girl learned to master the art of bluffing.

"Trina's won the last five hands," Jade groaned, still with her forehead on her arms. "For the love of god someone beat her. I'll beat her next game!"

"All right, all right, Trina let's see your hand!" Trina revealed her cards and Sinjin looked up from his textbook. Courtney, Jade and Robbie all put their hands down. Jade had two fives. This gave her a three of a kind. Robbie had a three, giving him two pair. Courtney, on the other hand, had a straight just like Trina. Trina's jaw dropped as Courtney cheered and everyone else laughed.

"Courtney and Trina split the pot," Tori laughed. "Jade, Robbie, you two are out for the remainder of this hand."

"Next round Vega," Jade smirked, "Next round." The girl reached over and split the pot between Courtney and Trina. It was now Tori's turn to deal. Trina looked over to Sinjin and started to smile she studied him.

His gaze was fixed intricately onto the pages of the book he was reading, he was leaning against the arm of the couch and the light was glinting off his broad and clothed shoulders. His wavy hair fell to his shoulders like a majestic lion's mane. "I'm going to sit this hand out, you guys." Trina stood up from the table, wanting to take a break. "I'll jump in on the next hand."

"All right sis." Tori dealt the cards between her, Courtney, and Cat. Each of them still had plenty of chips, and Trina had more than enough. The game would likely go on for hours.

Trina walked over to the couch and sat beside Sinjin. He looked up to her with a smile, "Sounds like you're winning over there."

"Debatable, Courtney and I have the same amount of chips now." She leaned against his shoulder and curled her legs up and beneath her. She gazed down at the book and leaned her head into the small crevice in his neck. "What cha reading?"

"I'm reading about the alliance of Queen Isabela of Aragon and King Ferdinand of Castile, and how they helped foot Christopher Columbus's expedition." Trina lifted his arm around her shoulders and cuddled close to him as he wrapped his arm firmly around her and reached for the book. Her head came to rest upon his soft chest. "You know, Christopher Columbus wasn't actually the first person to discover America?"

"Yeah, it was some guy a century before him right?"

"Leif Erikson, and it was about five hundred years before Columbus. He established a Norse settlement named Vinland. He was born around 970 AD and died around 1020 AD." She was impressed with his knowledge, and surprised he was able to remember his studies so well.

"You amaze me, being able to recite historical facts like that."

"Well if I'm going to be a future historian one day, I'm going to need to know this stuff." Right now he had his bachelors and was going for his masters, he also had a good paying job working as an educator in the high schools. Despite his dislike for Hollywood Arts, Sikowitz recommended his work and got him to become a history teacher in the next room over. Sinjin took night courses to work towards furthering his degree.

Trina was also well on her way to finishing her bachelors and was getting involved with an internship soon. She was excited for what the future would hold. "You know, summer is starting up. The school season will be over for a while for the both of us." He kissed her forehead and she lifted her eyes up to his. Her lips curled into a smile.

"Got somewhere you're going with this?"

"Yeah, I thought maybe we could go to Ireland and see all those castles."

"Really? Ireland?" She always wanted to visit, and she knew Sinjin had been looking into his mother's family some more. MacFarlane had been an Irish name, and when he researched, he found that was definitely his heritage. Ever since the discovery, he wanted to go to his old hometown. "That sounds like it would be amazing."

"I know. I uh-I have something to ask you actually."

"Trina!" Tori beckoned her over and she lifted her head up. "Trina are you going to play the next hand?" She was eager to go back, but wanted to her what Sinjin had to say.

"Actually, go finish off the game. It'll probably be best to wait until the excitement of the game boils over."

"Oh all right." She moved back to the table and saw Sinjin walk over to talk to David.

David had done well for himself too, and he moved up in ranks. He became more confident in his job and moved up in ranks. Now he was the full fledged Police Chief. Next to the Mayor, he was the most powerful man in all of LA.

They'd each had occasional checkups by their ancestors, not so much since there was no real reason, but John liked to pop in every now and then. He was a handful even still.

New Austin, Nuevo Paraíso, and West Elizabeth had definitely been modernized. It didn't take long for people to find the lands and settle in to the region. Considering it spanned over parts of New Mexico, Texas, and upper Mexico, there was enough land to create a couple major cities.

Ironically enough, the mayor of one of the newest and most thriving towns was a descendent of Marshall Leigh Johnson.

As the poker game continued on, Sinjin and David watched from the counter, both sipping on a bottle of beer each. Cat was the first to lose her remaining chips, Tori lasted nearly half an hour before losing out. It then came down to Trina and Courtney. Everyone watched the two for what seemed an eternity.

Finally sleek determination and skill one out and Trina was declared the victor with a full house to Courtney's flush. Everyone cheered and congratulated as Courtney and Trina shared a victory hug.

"Good game," Courtney remarked.

"Same to you." Trina looked at the others and raised a hand. "All in for another round?" Immediately the others flocked to the table.

It was sad that neither Beck or Andre played poker with them, but then again, no one really thought much of them. After Jade dumped Beck many months ago, he got a job at some community theater. There weren't many available jobs out there and he'd been from one to another, working a variety of odd jobs. They saw him occasionally, but mostly in passing. He still had many scars present from before and was nowhere near as sociable as he used to be.

Andre vanished completely off the map from the moment he was cut off. It was said he joined the army, or the marines. His grandmother hadn't talked about him in months and finally moved away weeks ago.

"Before you guys start another round," Sinjin walked over just as Trina was about to sit at the table. The others looked up, all with cards already in their hands. David made his way over, grinning from ear to ear. "I have something I'd like to ask. Though, mostly to Trina…"

"What is it Sinjin?" She was slightly impatient, wanting to get back to the game and start fresh. She watched as he removed a brochure from his back pocket and handed it to her. He then went to fiddle with something else in his side pocket while she glanced at the brochure. "What is this?"

It was of a castle in Ireland offering discounts for special events such as vacations, parties, or even weddings. She moved her hand to her chest as Sinjin removed a box from his pocket, opened it up and held the ring before her in the palm of his hand. Her eyes widened and she gawked at the ring. The others stood from their seats, gasping in shock and awe.

"Oh my god…Sinjin…"

"Marry me? I would be the happiest man with you by my side, Trina." She cupped her hands over her mouth and whimpered as she resisted the urge to swipe the ring from him. "Let's start the rest of our lives."

"Y-Yes!" She threw her arms around his neck, practically knocking him over. Sinjin hugged her waist and Trina kissed him full on the lips as joyous tears fell from her eyes. "Yes-yes-yes!"

"You're getting married in a castle?" David took the brochure and raised his eyebrows. "I guess I'm helping to pay for the wedding then." He gazed with pride at his daughter. "Already planned of course."

This was the happiest moment of her life. Always she would cherish this, finally everything was going the way it should. She had Tori, Sinjin, her father, and Tori's true friends.

The icing on the cake? A wedding in Ireland? She nearly fainted from the excitement. She stepped back from Sinjin and took his hands in hers after he pushed the ring onto her finger. "Sinjin. Play poker with us."

"I suppose I can do that, if it makes you happy."

"It does and will." Nothing would bring her down now, her life was finally going the way it ought to. She could not ask for anything more. As she sat down, Courtney made room for Sinjin to sit between her and Trina. Trina hugged his neck and leaned her head up against his shoulder, grinning from ear to ear as her sister let out a heavy sigh.

"Sinjin's got lady luck on his side guys, and they just got engaged…prepare yourselves, this round of poker may be tricky. Let's play."

After the game, Trina wanted to talk more with Sinjin, as well as try something she'd not tried. She pulled him up into her room and looked down at her bed with a heaviness as Sinjin raised an eyebrow. "I would like to cuddle up and talk, and that's it." Sinjin slowly nodded his head. "If we're to marry, then I need to be comfortable with this."

"Okay." It was odd that in their relationship they never once cuddled up on the bed, but that was understandable. She'd been comfortable with everywhere else, and each time they were together, he never tried anything, not that she thought he would.

Trina climbed on top of the bed and pat beside her, holding her breath as he climbed up to her right. He lay on his back as she slowly turned onto her side, resting her shoulder on his arm and her hand on his chest. She looked towards him and he glanced into her eyes. "That proposal wasn't exactly the most romantic proposal, but I loved it, Sinjin."

"You know me, I keep things simple. You're right though, everyone was caught up in that poker game. So were you, so it was either say it then or wait an excruciatingly long time." She watched his chest rise and fall, and smiled when he moved his free hand onto his abdomen. He was relaxed, and she could relax her body. "I love you Trina. Over all the years I've known you, you've been the one person there for my little sister, aside from Tori, you've helped to look after her."

"I think it's mutual on that part, but you've looked after my family a lot more than I have."

"What? Driving them out of LA and getting your father out of the cemetery? I guess I have, but either way, I couldn't have done it without you. I took care of them because I knew you needed them, and they needed you, like I need you in my life because you make me far better than I think I could ever have been."

"A little push when things get overwhelming, sure."

"You remember when I first got a place of my own and Courtney went chasing after this dog on the side of the road? I was so distraught that I lost my sister-"

Trina curled her fingers on his chest and gazed into his eyes. "We found her though, dragging the dog to the animal shelter"

"I would have just called the police and felt sorry for myself until she was found, you picked me up and started driving all over town looking for her."

"You've always been there for me, you've been good to me." She moved her head to his chest, exhaling slowly as she moved her hand over his. The ring he got for her looked beautiful upon her ring finger. It was a simple white gold diamond ring with a beautiful array of diamonds lining the top. They didn't stick out too much, so she could wear gloves or work with it still on. "I trust you, I love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life." She curled her fingers between his and lifted herself up slightly to kiss him tenderly on the lips. "Also, thank you for this."

"I'm glad you're okay." She smiled and moved back to her position, cuddling closer and closing her eyes. She had been more concerned about herself not being able to lay here with him rather than his trying anything, she knew he wouldn't. It felt good to know she was strong enough to be where she was, strong enough to trust him and to be comfortable. There could be hiccups in their marriage to come, but no one had a perfect marriage, and she knew that no matter what the problem was, they could work on it together. Sinjin was patient and understanding with her, and that's something she needed in any man.

"If they start another game of poker, let's go down. I could stay like this though."

"Whatever you like. I'm sure they're relishing in you not beating them."

"I didn't win the last game, Tori did."

"Oh? I thought you let her by folding a good hand." He smirked teasingly as Trina laughed. "You had a royal flush going and you folded. No one folds on a royal. Even I know that, and I don't play card games."

Yes she knew she had a royal, but she hadn't cared. "Oops."

* * *

So what did you think of the poker game? That's it, the final chapter of this tale. Thank you for being patient and following along, even when I had to rush it, I apologize for that one XD. I won't rush another tale like that, but anyway, I appreciate all who gave this story a chance and hopefully you'll still be around as I will too. Let me know your final thoughts, then it is time to move along.


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